Nuclear DNA Content in Twelve Species ofAlstroemeriaL. and Some of their Hybrids

Abstract

Nuclear DNA content (2C-value), estimated through flow cytometry using propidium iodide (PI), was shown to vary from 36n5 pg to 78n9 pg among 29 accessions of 12 Alstroemeria species (2n l 2x l 16). The extremes were found in A. magnifica ssp. magnifica and in A. ligtu ssp. simsii, both belonging to the Chilean species group. The four Brazilian species exhibited less variation in nuclear DNA content (49n8-56n4 pg), than the eight Chilean species (36n5-78n9 pg). Nuclear DNA content was positively correlated (r l 0n92, n l 7, P 0n01) with the total chromosome length. It was also positively correlated (r l 0n85, n l 5, P 0n01) with the length of C-bands, when only the Chilean species were considered. When both karyotype parameters, length of non-C-banded chromosome regions (x) and length of C-bands (y) were determined, it was possible to predict the nuclear DNA content (z) with the formula z l 0n65xj1n31yk0n45 (R# l 0n97, P l 0n004).