Cytogenetic studies of Plantago reniformis Beck

Abstract

Three populations of Plantago reniformis Beck from Yugoslavia (2n = 12) have been studied from a cytogenetical point of view. The karyotype carried out for the first time on the Treskavica population showed three pairs of metacentric (1, 2 and 5) and three pairs of submetacentric chromosomes (3, 4 and 6); pairs 3 and 6 carry satellites. This karyotype is symmetric for chromosome morphology (m and sm) as well as for their size which is between 1.88 and 2.92 μ. The interpopulation variability has been manifested in the arrangement of the different morphological types of chromosomes in the karyogram and in the number of satellite chromosomes. This variability observed in P. reniformis (a relictual endemic species) shows that our conception about the great karyological stability of old species like this one, is too rigid. © 1992 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.