Chromosome numbers, karyotypes and 4C DNA contents ofAchillea sipikorensisHausskn. and Bornm. andAchillea sintenisiiHub.-Mor. (Asteraceae)

Abstract

Abstract The cytological features including chromosome numbers, detailed chromosome measurements and 4C DNA values were reported in Achillea sipikorensis and A. sintenisii from Turkey. Total chromosome lengths, relative lengths, long/short arm ratios and centromeric index of mitotic chromosomes were calculated. Somatic chromosome numbers were found to be 2n=2x=18 in A. sipikorensis and 2n=4x=36 in A. sintenisii for the first time. The mean of chromosome length ranged from 6.92±0.08 to 9.23±0.58 μm in A. sipikorensis and from 6.54±0.91 to 9.62±0.79 μm in A. sintenisii. The karyotype consists of six pairs metacentric chromosomes, two submetacentric pairs and a subte-locentric pairs in A. sipikorensis and of fifteen pairs metacentric chromosomes, a submetacentric pairs and two sub-telocentric pairs in A. sintenisii. The nuclear DNA C-value was estimated to be 4C= 24.63±0.01 pg of A. sipikorensis and 4C= 35.73±0.05 pg of A. sintenisii.