Is stem twining form of Basella alba L. a naturally occurring variant?

Abstract

A naturally occurring circumnutating stem form of Basella alba L. has been characterized in the background of two procumbent stem forms of B. alba L., cultivated commonly as leaf vegetable. The difference between the procumbent and circumnutating stem forms was quite distinct particularly in terms of biomass since the circumnutating form showed reduced laminar area and weight but with long internodes and minor stem circumference, which is otherwise perfectly suited for circumnutation. Though there were no cytological differences between the three materials under study, the loss of certain unique DNA fragments in the genome as revealed by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and proteins in the proteome as revealed by two dimensional gel electrophoresis were obvious in the circumnutating stem form. This loss probably contributed to change in function of twining in the circumnutating form; and this phenotype plausibly is a stable variant of the more common procumbent form of Basella.