Full Length Research Paper

Cytotaxonomical studies on some Crocus L. taxa in Turkey

F. Candan¹, L. Şik¹* and T. Kesercioğlu²

¹Department of Biology, Science and Art Faculty, Celal Bayar University, Muradiye-Manisa, Turkey.

²Department of Science Educations, Buca Education Faculty, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca-Izmir, Turkey.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: levents@bayar.edu.tr. Tel.: +90-236-2412151.

Accepted 6 August, 2009

   Abstract

The present study investigated the chromosome number and morphology of Crocus fleischeri Gay, C. pallasii Goldb subsp. pallasii, C. cancellatus Herbert subsp. lycius Mathew, C. pulchellus Herbert which are all belong to the Crocus L. taxa showing distribution in Western Anatolia in Turkey. Powder preparation was used as study method. Chromosome numbers and morphologies of the taxa were determined by examining the mitosis preparations. Furthermore, karyograms of taxa studied were made and examined in a detailed manner. In this study, it was found that the chromosome numbers of C. fleischeri, C. pallasii subsp. pallasii, C. cancellatus subsp. lycius and C. pulchellus were 2n = 20, 2n = 14, 2n = 16 and 2n = 12, respectively.

Key words: Chromosome number, chromosome morphology, Crocus taxa, Turkey.