Chromosome Numbers in Three Asteraceae Tribes from Inner Mongolia (China), with Genome Size Data for Cardueae

Abstract

[EN] Chromosome counts are reported for 15 species of the family Asteraceae from Inner Mongolia (People’s Republic of China). This study includes representatives of the tribes Anthemideae (Artemisia, Chrysanthemum, Filifolium, Hippolytia and Neopallasia), Astereae (Heteropappus) and Cardueae (Echinops and Olgaea). The significance of the chromosome counts is discussed for each species. Within the Anthemideae, chromosome counts for Hippolytia alashanensis (2n=36) and the tetraploid level of Artemisia eriopoda (2n=36) are reported for the first time. The chromosome number of Heteropappus altaicus (Astereae) agrees with previous reports of one (4x) of the two ploidy levels reported for this taxon. As a complement to the karyological data, genome size of the Cardueae representatives was assessed using flow cytometry. Within this tribe, Echinops gmelini (2n=26) and its sister taxon E. acantholepis (2n=14) show strongly divergent karyological patterns of difficult interpretation, whereas the count of E. przewalskyi (2n=32), assigned here for the first time, coincides with those of its close relatives. In Olgaea tangutica, the chromosome count (2n=24) and genome size (2C=3.01 pg) given here are the first reports for both the species and the genus.