CYTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ANTHURIUM ANDRAEANUM (ARACEAE), ITS RELATED TAXA AND THEIR HYBRIDS

Abstract

Karyotypes and meiotic configurations of Anthurium andraeanum and closely related taxa were analyzed. The karyotypes of A. andraeanum, A. caperatum, A. formosum, A. kamemotoanum, A. lindenianum, A. roseospadix, A. cf. sanctifidense, A. subsignatum, A. garagaranum , and an unidentified Anthurium sp. commonly consisted of four large metacentric or submetacentric chromosomes, two fairly large acrocentric chromosomes, two satellite chromosomes, and 22 smaller chromosomes. Variation in the karyotypes of A. nymphaeifolium and A. ochranthum suggested chromosomal rearrangement in the genus. All taxa showed 15 pairs of chromosomes at prometaphase I of meiosis in pollen mother cells. Four large chromosomes appeared as ring bivalents, and the rest of the chromosomes appeared as either ring or rod bivalents. Regular bivalent formation at prometaphase I of meiosis in pollen mother cells of species hybrids suggested close genomic relationships among parental taxa. On the other hand, reduction of pollen fertility estimated by pollen stainability in those hybrids suggested genetic divergence of species.