Flow cytometric determination of genome size and ploidy level of some frost-resistant cultivars and species of Rhododendron L. native to Asian Russia

Abstract

Rhododendrons of Asian Russia represent a valuable genetic resource for development of new ornamental cultivars for cold environment. Assessment of their genome size and ploidy level is critical for creation of new rhododendron hybrids and polyploids as well as for solving taxonomic problems. In spite of genome sizes of some European and American rhododendron genotypes have been already determined with the use of flow cytometry, this approach is not used for analysis of species native to Asian Russia. Here, we present flow cytometric data on genome size, DNA content and ploidy level of frost-resistant cultivars of rhododendrons (R. catawbiense 'Grandiflorum', 'HelsinkiUniversity', 'Haaga') and species (R. adamsii, R. brachycarpum, R. dauricum, R. ledebourii, R. mucronulatum, R. parvifolium, R. schlippenbachii and R. sichotense).