Karyology of the Species Oxytropis lessingiana Knjasev (Fabaceae) Endemic to the South Urals

Abstract

Studies have been performed on the karyotype Oxytropis lessingiana Knjasev endemic to the South Urals. It is recognized that the number of chromosomes in the somatic tissue of the species under investigation is 2n=48 and these metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes are of a small size (1.30±0.02 to 2.59±0.05 μm). The variability of morphometric chromosome parameters is characterized by very low, low and average values of the coefficient of variation. The highest variability is observed in the absolute chromosome length and the lowest one in the relative chromosome length. The differences found between the karyotype O. lessingiana and those of previously studied closely related species may attest to a particular (probably species-level) status of the research object.