Somatic Chromosome Morphology in the Genus Iphigenia

Abstract

Somatic chromosome morphology from root meristems of five of the Indian species of the colchicine yielding genus Iphigenia Kunth (Liliaceae), I. indica Kunth, I. magnifica Ansari et Rolla Rao, I. mysorensis Arekal et Swamy, I. pallida Baker and I. stellata Blatter, was studied. All showed a chromosome number of 2n=22. One pair of chromosomes was the longest in the complement and the rest of the pairs formed a graded series. The karyotypes were asymmetrical. The individual chromosomes were identified and idiograms constructed. The general similarity of karyotype in the species indicated that the genus is homogeneous, but the presence of gross cytological differences between them in such features as the length of the longest chromosome, arm ratio, centromere and satellite positions, total chromatin length, relative lengths, F and TF values suggests that the occurrence of chromosomal repatterning and probably also the accumulation of gene mutations contributed in the differentiation of the species. On the basis of the similarity matrix of chromosome morphological features, the relative affinities between the species were assessed.