The study on the extent of chromosomal variations in suspension cultures initiated from hypocotyl segments of Pisum sativum var. Arkel and Vigna sinensis var. black reveals aberrations like inhibition of cell plate formation, spindle abnormalities, chromosomal breakage, polyploidy and aneuploidy. Such aberrations are frequently observed mostly in aneuploid cells and their frequencies increase with the number of passages. Asynchronous behaviour of daughter nuclei resulting in multinucleate cells is observed more frequently in cultured tissues of P. sativum L. than in Vigna sinensis var. black. In progressively older passages of Vigna sinensis var. black diploid cell populations gradually increase more rapidly than the tetraploid and aneuploid cells, indicating the selective advantage of diploid cells over others. By contrast in progressively old passages of Pisum sativum L. the frequencies of cells with 11 and 12 chromosomes are high. In the resulting cell population a range from 7 to 14 chromosomes could be noticed indicating instability. Anaphase bridges occur in almost the same frequency in both the species. Some other features of the chromosomal variations have been described. © 1979 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.