Inheritance of allozymes from seed tissues of the hexaploid gymnosperm, Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. (Coast redwood)

Coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, is a hexaploid gymnosperm of putative autoallopolyploid origin. In this first study of allozymes from the seed tissues of Coast redwood, six enzyme systems were examined in the megagametophyte and embryo tissues of nine control-pollinated (full-sib) families. Megagametophyte segregation patterns reflected considerable within-family segregation and a meiotic process that is consistent with hexasomic segregation. The array of gametic phenotypes observed precludes strictly disomic segregation. Staining intensity of banding patterns was an unreliable indicator of allozyme frequency, and scoring of phenotypes in this study was conducted conservatively. Observations do not refute the long-standing hypothesis of an autoallopolyploid origin.