Several concentrations of colchicine were applied in the seeds of Centrosema virginianum (L.) Benth, during variable periods of time in order to determine some cytomorphological reactions in the development of the plants. The Centrosema have demonstrated high sensibility to colchicine, with only 5% survived. Several differences were observed in the morphological characters and, in the root-tips it was detected high percentage of polissomaty with two news levels of ploidy, 2n = 4X = 36 (Tetraploids) and 2n = 4X = 54 (hexaploids).
Centrosema; cytomorfology; colchicine; ploidy
