Chromosomal Evolution of Bromeliaceae

Abstract

This paper presents the chromosomal number of 18 species of Bromeliaceae occurring in Brazil, which belong to the Neoregleia, Cryptanthus, Canistropsis, Canistrum, Hohenbergia, Orthophytum and Witrockia genera. The results display the 2n=50 diploid number for the majority of the species, 2n=34 for the Cryptanthus species and 2n=100 for Orthophytum amoenum. B chromosomes were observed in Hohenbergia pennae. This is the first register for 14 species and the new counting for Neoregelia carolinae, Neoregelia cruenta, Canistropsis microps and Cryptanthus beuckeri. The chromosomal counting in this work agree with the basic number x=25 for the majority of the species and x=17 for the Cryptanthus ones.