Karyomorphological features of Turkish Centaurea (subgenus Cyanus, Asteraceae) species and its taxonomic importance

Abstract

In this study, the karyomorphology of 20 Turkish Centaurea (subgenus Cyanus) taxa was examined. The number of chromosomes of 11 taxa belonging to the subgenus Cyanus was determined for the first time. As a result of the karyomorphological studies, the number of basic chromosomes was determined to be x = 8, 10, and 12 in annuals and x = 10 and 11 in perennials. The populations are tetraploid in the seven perennial taxa and polyploidy is not rare for this group. On the other hand, all annual taxa are diploid. Considering the asymmetry indices, we can conclude that most taxa have symmetrical karyotypes. The most common karyotype formulas are 40 metacentric chromosomes (m), 20m, and 16m + 4 submetacentric chromosomes, respectively. A satellite was detected in the majority of the taxa, but it was observed to be mainly localized on the short arm of the chromosome. Satellites are located mainly on the second chromosome.