ANALYSIS OF THE KARYOTYPES IN <i>YUCCA, AGAVE</i> AND THE RELATED GENERA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PHYLOGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE

Abstract

The karyotypes of Eucomis, Camassia, Yucca Dasylirion, Dracaena, Agave, Fourcroya, Beschorneria and Polianthes have been analyzed with special reference to the Yucca-Agave karyotype (5L+25S). Yucca, Hesperoyucca, Hesperoalve, Cleistoyucca and Samuela in Yucceae and Agave, Fourcroya, Polianthes and Beschorneria in Agavoideae are of the same karyotype and are more closely akin to each other than it is shown by their classification into distinct families. Dasylirion, Nolina, Dracaena and Doryanthes also make another group of a karyotype. The present observation of polyploidy in Agave suggests that this Yucca-Agave type is a very stable karyotype.