Variation in nuclear DNA amount between wild and cultivated populations of Milium effusum (2n = 28)

Abstract

Mean 2C DNA amounts varied by 35.6%, ranging from 7.52 to 10.20 pg, between 10 populations of the grass Milium effusum L. Such intraspecific variation occurred despite a constant chromosome number (2n = 28) and no obvious differences in karyotype. Plants originating from botanic garden populations growing in cultivation had significantly (P < 0.001) larger DNA amounts than plants collected from wild populations. Moreover, variation in DNA amount within either the "cultivated" or the "wild" groups was not significant. As the environment in which plants are kept in botanic gardens is clearly different to the natural habitat for M. effusum, it seems likely that the difference in nuclear DNA amount is causally related, perhaps through its nucleotypic effects, to microclimate adaptation. These results suggest that at least some genotypes of M. effusum are fluid and sensitive to environmental change. Such data may have broad practical importance regarding plant responses to various environmental changes such as a nuclear winter and global warming, and implications for plant conservation and reintroduction. Milium effusum is a potentially useful plant material for studying the nature of intraspecific variation in DNA amount.Key words: Milium effusum, nuclear DNA amounts, nucleotype, environmental adaptation.