Karyological Investigation on Three Zephyranthes Species and Its Taxonomic Significance

Abstract

Three species of Zephyranthes Herb. viz. Z. candida (Lindl.) Herb., Z. carinata Herb. and Z. tubispatha Herb. were cytotaxonomically studied to characterize and elucidate probable evolutionary relationship among them. These species were found to possess different chromosome number and karyotype formula such as 2n=38=32m+6sm in Z. candida, 2n=24=14m+10sm in Z. carinata and 2n=48=16m+32sm in Z. tubispatha. A pair of satellites was observed only in Z. tubispatha. Despite three Zephyratnes species showed close relationship with reference to morphological characters, however, they displayed notable differences in the karyological study. The present cytogenetical and taxonomical findings indicated that Z. tubispatha was relatively advanced and Z. carinata was primitive from the evolutionary point of view.