ESTIMATION OF GENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PELARGONIUM SPECIES BY THE ELECTROPHORETIC PATTERNS OF ISOZYMES

抄録

In several Pelargonium species, esterase, peroxidase and acid phosphatase isozymes of anthers were studied electrophoretically using the polyacrylamide gel isoelectrofocusing technique. The plants examined consist of three horticultural classes, i.e., zonal geraniums, show pelargoniums, and scented-leaved geraniums. Within each class, the variation of isozyme patterns among species or cultivars was comparatively small. The show pelargoniums and the scented-leaved geraniums were similar to each other in isozyme patterns, but the zonal geraniums were different from the above two classes. As to the show pelargoniums, different opinions about their polyploidy and their basic chromosome number are known in the literature. The present authors cytologically support an opinion that the show pelargoniums are tetraploids with 11 basic chromosome number. This was indirectly evidenced from the isozyme similarity between the show pelargoniums and the scented-leaved geraniums. It is concluded that the show pelargoniums and the scented-leaved geraniums are genetically and phylogenetically close to each other, and the zonal geraniums are remote from them.