Karyotypes of Ten Taxa of Allium Section Scorodon from Greece

SUMMARY

In the present paper the karyotypes of the following taxa of the genus Allium section Scorodon Koch occurring in Greece are discussed. A. moschatum (2n = 16 + 0–1B), A. meteoricum (2n = 16), A. calamarophilon (2n = 16), A. frigidum (2n = 16, 24), A. cupani subsp. cupani (2n = 16), A. cupani subsp. hirtovaginatum (2n = 14), A. obtusiflorum (2n = 16), A. callimiscbon subsp. callimischon (2n = 16) and A. callimischon subsp. haemostictum (2n = 16). The karyotype of a new Allium species from Greece is also given although the description of the taxon is still unpublished (A. goulimyi, 2n = 16). In all the taxa studied most chromosomes of the haploid complement are metacentric, arm ratio 1.0–1.7 and usually only one asymmetrical chromosome, arm ratio 1.7–5, is present. Nucleolar organizer chromosomes of different types have been observed and a modification with regard to their classification is proposed. In most of the species studied a remarkable chromosome morphological variation has been observed and possible sources of this variation are discussed. Fourteen populations representative of all the taxa studied have been studied in detail and karyotype comparison within and between the species are made and the taxonomical value of some karyotype characters is discussed.