Multivariate karyomorphometric analysis and taxonomic implications in Allium sect. Cupanioscordum (Amaryllidaceae)

Abstract

Significant karyological variation occurs amongst different taxa/populations in the A. cupani group. The ancestral diploid chromosome complement is 2n = 16 (x = 8), but populations of A. cupani s.l. also exhibit dysploidy (2n = 14), polyploidy (2n = 4x = 32, 2n = 4x = 30). These different chromosome assets are associated to specific diagnostic morphological characters and well-defined eco-geographical patterns, which cluster different taxa and populations in 5 series (Brullo&al. 1995, 2008). In order to test the impact of inter-and intra-specific variation in chromosome structure on the systematic treatment of the A. cupani group and its contribution to allow comparing and understanding affinities and relationships among taxa, multivariate statistics was applied to 34 karyomorphometric parameters from 34 samples belonging to 22 taxa which represent the main variability with respect to morphological, cytological and ecological patterns within A. cupani s. l.