Chromosome Numbers and Some Morphological Attributes of Various South African Grasses

Abstract

de Wet, J. M. J. (Div. Botany, Pretoria, So. Africa.) Chromosome numbers and some morphological attributes of various South African Grasses. Amer. Jour. Bot. 47(1): 44—49. Illus. 1960.– Chromosome numbers are reported for 68 species and varieties of grasses belonging to 40 genera. These include first reports for the genera Megastachya, Lintonia, Plagiochloa, Ctenium, Oropetium and Beckeropsis. Cytological data were correlated with observations from leaf and embryo anatomy. A common ancestor is postulated for the tribes Oryzeae, Ehrharteae and Centotheceae. The genera Lasiochloa, Plagiochloa and Urochlaena appear to belong neither with the tribe Festuceae nor with the Eragrosteae but probably are closer related to the Danthonieae. Lintonia. Entoplocamia, Tetrachne and Fingerhuthia are characterized by the chloridoid-eragrostoid type of cytology and leaf anatomy but the bambusoid type of embryo anatomy. For these reasons they appear to represent relics of the original Eragostoid and Chloridoid stock. The South African representatives of the genus Crinipes differ from the tropical species in respect to leaf anatomy. The tropical species are typically of the arundinoid type, whereas the South African species appear to be related to the Danthonieae.