bird-nird

bird-nird t1_jblntl6 wrote

Well, it looks like you are right - I apologize, I was not aware that triploids are generally sterile. Apparently they can reproduce but it's not as common: https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/51/8/article-p968.xml#:~:text=Triploids%20are%20typically%20highly%20infertile,et%20al.%2C%202011).

3

bird-nird t1_jbi1avq wrote

So plants don't have centrioles (I think that's right? I'm a plant ecologist not a geneticist) and as a result, the chromosomal number doesn't matter as much. Because of this, many plants are polyploid - they can be diploid, triploid, or even tetraploid, with additional chromosomal replicates believed to confer some advantages in specific conditions, depending on the species. You could, then, have a triploid plant with an odd number of chromosomes.

EDIT: Apparently fertility in triploid plants is greatly reduced, which I was unaware of, though reproduction is possible: https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/51/8/article-p968.xml#:~:text=Triploids%20are%20typically%20highly%20infertile,et%20al.%2C%202011).

64