CYTOGENETIC STUDIES OF CARTHAMUS DIVARICATUS WITH ELEVEN PAIRS OF CHROMOSOMES AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER CARTHAMUS SPECIES (COMPOSITAE) |
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Authors: | Ali Estilai P F Knowles |
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Institution: | Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Department of Agronomy and Range Science, University of California, Davis, 95616 |
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Abstract: | Carthamus divaricatus (Beg. et Vacc.) Pamp., found only in Libya, has 11 pairs of chromosomes, a new chromosome number in the genus. The species is distinct morphologically. It has yellow, purple, and white corollas, yellow pollen, dark-purple striped anthers, horizontal branches, and strongly divaricate outer involucral bracts. The terminal portion of the middle involucral bracts is dentate and reddish brown. It is self-incompatible. Meiosis is regular in the different corolla-color types of C. divaricatus and their intraspecific hybrids. C. divaricatus was crossed to six species with n = 12, to three species with n = 10, to C. lanatus with n = 22, and to two species with n = 32 chromosomes. The morphological characteristics and cross-ability of the parental species plus the pollen viability, seed-set, and meiotic behavior of the hybrids involving C. divaricatus and other Carthamus species indicated that C. divaricatus is very closely related to species with n = 10, closely related to C. lanatus with n = 22, and less closely related to C. tinctorius with n = 12 chromosomes. C. divaricatus seems to be distantly related to C. nitidus (n = 12). It is proposed that C. divaricatus be included provisionally with 10-chromosome species in Section II. Alternative hypotheses for the development of the three basic chromosome numbers are discussed. |
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