Karyological Studies on Mosses V

Karyotypes of Fifteen Species in Brachytheciaceae

Abstract

This paper deals with the results of the karyological studies on fifteen species, belonging to the family Brachytheciaceae. The metaphase and heteropycnotic chromosomes in mitotic cells of gametophytes are observed. The chromosome numbers of four species, Homalothecium laevisetum, Brachythecium buchanani, B. plumosum, Bryhnia novae-angliae, are identical with the results of the previous workers, whilst those of three species, Brachythecium populeum, B. rivulare, Eurhynchium hians are different from other reports of each species. Those of the rest, eight species, are reported for the first time by the present writer. The karyotype formulae of the fifteen species are as follows: Homalothecium laevisetum……K(n)=11=V(H)+2V+J+6(4v+2j)+m(h) Paramocladium macrostegium……K(n)=11=V(H)+2V+J+6(4v+2j)+m(h) {Brachythecium buchanani……B. wichurae……} K(n)=11=V(H)+2V+J+5(3v+2j)+m(h) {B. plumosum……B. populeum……B. rivulare……}K(n)=11=V(H)+2V+J+6(4v+2j)+m(h) B. sakuraii……K(n)=12=V(H)+2V+J+7(5v+2j)+m(h) {Bryhnia novae-angliae……B. trichomitria……} K(n)=11=V(H)+V+J+7(5v+2j)+m(h) B. tenerrima……K(n)=8=V(H)+3V+J+2(v+j)+v(h) Rhynchostegium inclinatum……K(n)=22=2V(H)+2V+2J+14(10v+4j)+2m(h) R. pallidifolium……K(n)=11=V(H)+V+J+7(5v+2j)+m(h) Eurhynchium arbuscula……K(n)=10=V(H)+V+5J+5(3v+2j)+v(h) E. hians……K(n)=7=V(H)+2V+J+2(v+j)+j(h).
The interspecific and intergeneric similarities of these karyotypes are discussed in comparison with each other.