C-banding Patterns in Eighteen Taxa of the Genus Paris sensu Li, Liliaceae

Abstract

The C-banding patterns of 18 taxa of the genus Pariswere analyzed with the chromosome image analyzing system, CHIAS. Each species examined had a unique and matchless C-banding pattern (Figs. 1, 2). Among them, P. japonica, a presumptive relict to the Ice Age, showed the most complicated pattern and had the highest proportion of C-banding positive heterochromatin to euchromatin in its genomes. P. thibetica, a Tibetan species, showed the simplest pattern and the lowest proportion of heterochromatin to euchromatin. Despite the uniqueness of each species, we were able to recognize certain similarities between and/or among species. The metacentric chromosomes of P. polyphylla var. stenophylla and P. polyphylla var. yunnanesis showed similar banding patterns. Proximal bands were observed on both arms of the metacentric chromosomes in three Japanese species, P. japonica, P. tetraphylla and P. rerticillata. On the other hand, we were unable to make any distinction of the C-banding patterns of “tropical” and the “temperate” karyotypes.