Abstract Genome size has been studied for the first time in the Colchicum genus. Values obtained by flow cytometry were quite stable and specific to each.
Plant Cell Rep (2002) 21:347–352 DOI 10.1007/s00299-002-0522-4
GENETIC TRANSFORMATION AND HYBRIDIZATION
A. Fridlender · S. Brown · R. Verlaque M.T. Crosnier · N. Pech
Abstract Genome size has been studied for the first time in the Colchicum genus. Values obtained by flow cytometry were quite stable and specific to each taxon: C. autumnale L., 2C=5.89±0.22 pg, equivalent to 5.7×109 bp (2n=4x=36); C. alpinum DC., 2C=8.06± 0.24 pg, equivalent to 7.8×109 bp (2n=6x=56); C. lusitanum Brot., 2C=10.7±0.67 pg, equivalent to 10.3×109 bp (2n= approx. 10x=90–92 and 94–96); C. multiflorum Brot., 2C=16.5±0.69 pg, equivalent to 15.9×109 bp, (2n=approx. 16x=140–148); C. corsicum Baker, 2C=21.3± 0.99 pg, equivalent to 20.6×109 bp (2n=22x= approx. 198±2). These values are well below those published for Liliaceae stricto sensu. In Colchicum species from the western Mediterranean area, genome size was highly correlated with ploidy level (R2=0.99, P4x) of this complex. The analysis of variance (Table 2) demonstrated a significant effect of the two factors “species” and “populations”: significant differences between taxa and between populations of the same species. The 2C DNA of 12 populations of C. autumnale showed species homogeneity (P=0.67). This homogeneity at the species level was also well illustrated by the 67 C. corsicum (22x) individuals analysed. The sampling carried on 14 of the 30 known populations (Fridlender 1999b) substantially represents the ecological, morphological and geographical ranges of this threatened endemic species: halophilous areas, thermophilous Mediterranean scrub (“maquis”), and alpine meadows. However, their 2C values did not change statistically (P=0.63): 21.2 pg, 21.4 pg and 21.3 pg, respectively. The genome size of
