Chromosome numbers of Macaronesian flowering plants III

              BOTÁNICA MACARONESICA 7 (1980)
CHROMOSOME NUMBERS OF MACARONESIAN FLOWERING PLANTS III
LIV BORGEN
Botanical Carden and Museuin, Universily of Oslo, Trondheiinsvn. 23B, Oslo 5, Norway.
SUMMARY
Chromosome numbers of 13 species of flowering plants from the Cape Verde Islands
and eight from the Canary Islands are presented. Fourteen of the species are endemics, eight
of which were previously not studied karyologically. Of the seven non-endemic species, two
are studied karyologically for the first time, the other five having no previous reports for Ma-caronesia.
RESUMEN
Se presenta el número cromosomico de 13 especies de fanerógamas de Cabo Verde y de
8 de las Islas Canarias. Catorce de estas especies son endémicas y ocho de estas no hablan sido
antes estudiadas cariológicamente. De las siete especies no endémicas, dos son estudiadas ca-riológicamente
por primera vez y de las otras cinco no se tienen datos anteriores para Macaro-nesia.
INTRODUCTION
This is the fifth in a series of papers (Borgen 1969, 1970, 1974,
1975) on chromosome numbers of vasculaV (mainly flowering) plants
from Macaronesia.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
All species from the Cape Verde Islands were collected by Dr. Per
Sunding, Botanical Carden and Museum, University of Oslo, during
his expeditions to the islands in 1972 and 1976. The species from the
67
LIV BORGEN
Canary Islands were collected by myself, Mr. Günther Kunkel, Coín,
Spain, or received from the botanical gardens in Puerto de la Cruz,
Tenerife; Tafira Alta, Gran Canaria; and Berlin.
Most of the material has been raised from seeds or cuttings and
cultivated in the Botanical Carden, University of Oslo. In addition
one field fixation from the Canary Islands is included.
Root tips were fixed in Navashin-Karpechenko, dehydrated, em-bedded
in paraffin, cut with a microtome, and stained with gentian
violet (cf. Love & Lóve 1975).
Vouchers of all species are deposited in the Botanical Museum,
University of Oslo (0), where the microscopical slides also are preser-ved.
RESULTS AND COMMENTS
The chromosome numbers are presented in Table I. The arrange-ment
is systematically as to families, alphabetically as to species. The
nomenclature and author abbreviations are in accordance with Han-sen
& Sunding (1979).
The following ten species are investigated karyologically for the
first time: the four Cañarían endemics Silene lagunensisChr. Sm., Fe-rula
lancerottensis Parí., Limonium preauxii (Webb et Berth.) O.
Kuntze, and Carex calderaeA. Hans.; the four Cape Verde Island en­demics
Polycarpaea ga^'/Webb, Kickxia brunneri (Benth.) Janchen,
Globularia amygdalifolia Webb, and Conyza feae (Béguin.) Wild;
and the two non-endemic species Capraria biflora L. and Pluchea
ovalis (Pers.) DC. from the Cape Verde Islands.
The chromosome records on the following non-endemic species
from the Cape Verde Islands are new for the Macaronesian región:
Ábrus precatorius L., Salvia aegyptiaca L., Barrerla vertid I lata (L.)
G. F. Meyer, Heteropogort contortus (L.) PB. ex Roem. et Schult.,
and Pennisetum polystachyon (L.) Schult.
Chromosome numbers deviating from previous reports were
found in Tornabenea hirta Schmidt and Pennisetum polystachyon,
and a number inconsistent with previously established basic ones was
found in Conyza feae {Ué%\x\\\.) Wild.
Polycarpaea d i va r lea ta (Ait.) Poir, 2n = 18, Fig. 1.
P. gayi Webb, 2n = 18, Fig. 2.
The diploid number 2n = 18 is commonly reported in the two spe-
68
CHROMOSOMES OF MACARONESIAN PLANTS
cies P. carnosa Chr. Sm. ex Buch and P. divaricata from the Canary
Islands (Borgen 1977). Larsen (1960) made a deviating report of
2n =c.26 in P. divaricata from Tenerife. The present material of P. di­varicata
from Tenerife was received as P. tenuis Wehh ex Christ, but
turned out to be P. divaricata in cultivation. Polycarpaea divaricata is
a variable species, and the genus needs revisión.
Suene lagunensis Chr. Sm., 2n = 24 Fig. 3.
The diploid chromosome number 2n = 24 here reported for the
first time for this narrow endemia from Tenerife, the Canary Islands,
is in accordance with the reports on most other Silene species in the
Cañarles, one exception is the tetraploid 5. vulgaris (Moench) Garcke
(Larsen 1960, Borgen 1977).
Crambe scaberrima'Wehh ex Bramw., 2n = 30, Fig. 4.
The present diploid report on this species endemic to Tenerife,
coincides with a previous one by Gagnieu et al. (1973), and with re­ports
on many other endemic Crambe species (Borgen 1977).
Abrus precatoriusL., 2n=22, Fig. 5.
The present diploid report, the first from the Cape Verde Islands,
coincides with five previous ones (Fedorov 1969, Fritsch 1972) for this
pantropical species.
Euphobia tuckeyana Steud., 2n = 20, Fig. 6.
The diploid number 2n = 20 is previously reported in this Cape
Verde Island endemic by Bramwell & Murray (1972) and Bramwell et
al. (1972). Their material originated from the island of Santo Antao,
mine from Sal.
Férula lancerottensis Parí., 2n = 18, Fig. 7.
This endemic species from Lanzarote, The Canary Islands, was
previously not investigated karyologically. It turned out to be diploid,
as previously recorded for the other Cañarían endemic, F. linkiiWehh
(Borgen 1977).
Tornabenea hirta Schmidt, 2n = 16, Fig. 8.
In this species endemic to the Cape Verde Islands, Bramwell &
Murray (1972) and Bramwell et al. (1972) previously reported a diffe-rent
number, 2n == 18, in material from Santiago. My material origina­ted
from Sao Nicolau. The chromosome numbers in this endemic Ca-
69
LIV BORGEN
pe Verde Island genus are variable: 2n = 16 is previously reported for
T. tenuissima (Chev.) A. Hans. et Sund. from Fogo (Borgen 1974);
2n = 22 for T. bischofii Schmidt from Santo Antao (Bramwell &
Murray 1972, Bramwell et al. 1972). The plants from Santiago and
Sao Nicolau referred to T. hirta may belong to different species. The
genus needs revisión, and a further cytotaxonomic study would reveal
if there are erroneous counts, unstable chromosome numbers, or ta-xonomical
confusión.
Limonium preauxii (Webh et Berth.) O. Kuntze, 2n = 14, Fig. 9.
Limonium preauxii is endemic to Gran Canaria, The Canary
Islands. The diploid number here reported for the first time for this
species coincides with one group of diploid endemic Limonium spedes
with the basic number x = 7.
Salvia aegyptiacaL. 2n = 28, Fig. 10.
In this weed from N África and SW Asia both 2n = 28, from unk-nown
origin, (Delestaing 1954) and 2n = 38, from Libya, (Bhattachar-ya
et al. 1971) have been reported. The present tetraploid report coin­cides
with that of Delestaing (1954) and is the first from Macaronesia.
Capraria biflora L., 2n = c.60, Fig. 11.
The present report from the Cape Verde Islands is the first for
this tropical species originating from Central and S America. Four
species with their main distribution in America and the West Indies
are recognized in the genus (Engler & Prantl 1897, Willis 1966), none
of which has been studied karyologically before. Capraria biflora is
polyploid, may be hexaploid. The basic number x= 10 is reported in
two related genera of the Rhinanthoideae-Digitaleae, ScopariaL. and
SibthorpiaL. (Fedorov 1969). .
Kickxia brunneri (Benth.) Janchen, 2n = 18, Fig. 12.
The present diploid chromosome number record is the first for
this species endemic to the Cape Verde Islands. The same number is
reported in other Macaronesian endemics of the genus (Borgen 1977).
Scrophularia smithiiVíornem., 2n-5S, ¥\g. 13.
The present record in this Cañarían endemic is in accordance with
those of Dalgaard (1979).
70
CHROMOSOMES OF MACARONESIAN PLANTS
Globularia amygdaüfolia Wehh, 2n = 16, fig. 14.
This record, the first in this species endemic to the Cape Verde
Islands, coincides with previous ones for other species of the genus
(Fedorov 1969, Moore 1974, 1977).
Borreria verticillata (L.) G. F. Meyer, 2n = 28, Fig. 15.
The present report is the first from Macaronesia. In this pantro-pical
species, the same number is reported previously in plants from
Senegal, W África (Miége 1962) and S America (Lewis et al. 1967).
Conyza feae (Béguin.) Wild, 2n = 24, Fig. 16.
No previous chromosome record exists for this species endemic to
the Cape Verde Islands. In the related.C. varia(Wehb) Wild, also en­demic
to the Cape Verde Islands, 2n = 36 is reported (Borgen 1975). A
common basic number in the genus is x = 9, and many reports state
X = 18; some x = 36, 54, and 72 (Fedorov 1969). The present report de-viates
from this pattern, indicating another basic number, x = 6 or
x = 12, for Conyza m the Cape Verde Islands.
Pluchea ovalis (Pers.) DC, 2n=40, Fig. 17.
This tropical African species has not been studied karyologically
before. The present report is in accordance with those for six other
Pluchea species (Fedorov 1969, Moore 1974).
Tanacetum ptarmiciflorum (Webb) Sch. Bip., 2n = 18, Fig. 18.
Aldridge & Ortega (1976) previously reported n = 9 for this rare
endemic from Gran Canaria.
Heteropogon contortusiL.) PB. ex Roem. et Schult., 2n = 60, Fig. 19.
A series of chromosome numbers, 2n = 20, 40, 50, 60, and 80,
(Fedorov 1969, Moore 1973, 1974, 1977) are reported for this species
which has a wide distribution in S Europe, the tropics and subtropics.
The hexaploid number here reported from the Cape Verde Islands is
commonly reported from elsewhere, often together with other num­bers
in the same population or even the same plant. Unstable chromo­some
numbers and probably apomixis seem to occur in this grass.
Pennisetum polystachyon (L.) Schult., 2n = 72, Fig. 20.
In this grass from tropical África and Asia, the hexaploid number
2n = 54 of the basic number x = 9 is reported by many authors (Krish-naswamy
& Raman 1949, Singh & Godward 1960, Tateoka 1965, Ran-
71
LIV BORGEN
gasamy 1972, Gould & Soderstrom 1974). The deviating octoploid
number here reportad, the first from the Cape Verde Islands, indicates
a neopolyploid race in these islands.
Carex calderae K. Hans., 2n = c.68, Fig. 21.
This endemic species is confined to a small área in Las Cañadas,
Tenerife. Its high, polyploid, chromosome number is recorded for the
first time.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My thanks are due to the Norwegian Research Council for Scien­ce
and the Humanities, which financially supported my field work,
and to Inger Dahl and Inger Johanne Vesje, University of Oslo, for
technical assistance.
REFERENCES
Al DRIDGE, A. E. & ORTEGA, J. 1976. Estudios en la flora de Macaronesia: Algunos números de
Cromosomas 11. Bol. Macar. 2: 9-18.
BHATTACHARYA.S.S. KHAl IFA, M. M.&CHAUDHRl, I. 1. 1971. In lOPB chromosome number
reports XXXIl. TaxonlQ: 349-356.
BORGEN, I . 1969. Chromosome numbers of vascular plañís from the Canary Islands, with special re-ference
to the occurrence of polyploidy. Nyit Man. Bol. 16: 18-121.
BORGEN, I.. 1970. Chromosome numbers of Macaronesian flowering plants. Nytt Mag. Bou. 17:
145-161.
BORGEN, I . 1974. Chromosome numbers of Macaronesian flowering plants. II. Norw. J. Bot. 2/.'l95-
210.
BORGEN, I . 1975. Chromosome numbers of vascular plants from Macaronesia. Norw. J. Bol. 22:
l\-l(s.
BORGEN, \ . 1977. Checkiisi of Chromosome Numbers coiiiited in Macaronesian Vascular Plañís. 0%\o
(Mimeogr.).
BRAMWEI I , D., HUMPHRIES, C. J., MURRAY, B. G. & OWENS, S. J. 1972. Chromosome studies
in the flora of Macaronesia. Bot. Noliser 125: 139-152.
BRAMWEI I , D. & MURRAY, B. G. 1972. A preliminary repon on the cylology of some Cape Verde
islands plants. Ciiad. Bot. Cañar. 14/15:21-29.
DAl GAARD, V. 1979. Biosystematics of the Macaronesian species of Scrophularia. Opera Botánica 51:
1-64.
DEl.ESTAING, N. 1954. Contribution á l'étude cytologique du genre Salvia. Rev. Cylol. Biol. Vén. 15:
195:236.
ENGI.ER, A. & PRANTl-, K. 1897. Oie natíirlichen Pflanzenfamilien 4, 5/).-82-83.
FEDOROV, A. A. (ED.). 1969. Chromosome Niimhers of Flowering Plañís, l.eningrad.
FRITSCH, R. 1972. Chromosomenzahlen von Planzen der Insel Kuba. II. Kiilturpflanze /9.-305-313.
CiAGNIEU, A., I INDER, R. & VOGGENREITER, V. 1973. Caryotypes de la Hore insulaire de Tene­rife.
Monogr. Biol. Cañar. 4: 126-133.
GOUl D, F. W. & SODERSTROM, T. R. 1974. Chromosome numbers of some Ceylon grasses. Can. J.
Bot. 52: 1075-1090.
72
CHROMOSOMES OF MACARONESIAN PLANTS
HANSEN, A. & SUNDING, P. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia. Checklisl of Vascular Plañís. Oslo. (Mi-meogr.).
KRISHNASWAMY, N. & RAMAN, V. S. 1949. A note on the chromosome numbers of some economic
plants of India. Curren! Sci. 18: 376-378.
LARSEN, K. 1960. Cytological and experimental studies on the flowering plants of the Canary Islands.
Biol. Skr. Danske Vid. Seiskap II (3).
LEWIS, W. H., SUDA, Y. & OLIVER, R: 1967. In Chromosome numbers of phanerogams. 2. Ann.
Missouri Bol. Gard. 54: 178-181.
LOVE, A. & LOVE, D. 1975. Plant Chromosomes. Vaduz.
MIÉGE, J. 1962. Quatriéme liste de nombres chromosomiques d'espéces d'Afrique Occidentale. Rev.
Cylol. Biol. Vén. 24: 149-164.
MOORE, R. J. (ED.). 1973. Index to Plant Chromosome Numbers 1967—1971. Utrecht.
MOORE, R. J,. (ED.). 1974. Index to plant chromosome numbers for 1972. Regnum Vegelabile 91:1-108.'
MOORE, R. J. (ED.) 1977. Index to plant chromosome numbers for 1973/74. Regnum Vegelabile 96:
1-257.
RANGASAMY, S. R. S. 1972. Cytological studies on diploid and polyploid taxa of the genus Pennise-tum
Rkh. Genética-43: 251-213.
SINGH, D. N. & GODWARD, M. B. E. 1960. Cytological studies in the Gramineae. Heredity 15: 193-
197.
TATEOKA, T. 1965. Chromosome numbers of some grasses from Madagascar. Bol. Mag. (Tokyo) 78:
306-311.
WILLIS, J. C. 1966. A Dictionory of the Flowering Plañís and Ferns. Cambridge.
73
Table I. Chromosome numbers of flowering plants from the Cape Verde Islands (C.V.) and the Canary
Islands (Can.). Species investigated karyologically for the first time are marked with an asterisk.
'Fix.' refers to my fixation numbers and 'Cult.' to the accession numbers of cultivated plants in the
Botanical Carden, University of Oslo.
Taxon 2n Fig. Fix. Cult. Origin
CARYOPHYLLACEAE
Polyaarpaea divarioata (Ait.) Poir.
*Polyoarpaea gayi Webb
*Silene lagunensis Chr. Sm.
CRUCIFERAE
Crambe soaberrima Webb ex Bramw,
LEGUMINOSAE
Abrus precatorius L.
EUPHORBIACEAE
Euphorbia tuakeyana Steud.
APIAGEAE
*Ferula lancerottensis Parí.
Tornabenea hirta Schmidt
PLUMBAGINACEAE
*Limonium preauxii (Webb et Berth.
O. Kuntze
18 .1 78-104 76-1344 Can.: Tenerife: Las Cañadas, above
Cañada de Diego Hernández, alt. 2200 m.
La Laguna, Tenerife, 1975 seed list
no. .62.
18
24
30
22
20
22
74-21
78-98
74-77
74-66
74-64
74-74
16 8 78-96
73-1743 C.V.: Santo Antao: Ribeira do Paul,
alt. 1050 m. Sunding 24.10.1972.
78-128 Can.: Tenerife.
Berlin-Dahlem 1978 seed list no. 2374.
72-245 Can.: Tenerife: Buenavista. Puerto de
la Cruz, Tenerife, 1972 seed list no.
66.
73-1775 C.V.: Santo Antao: Ribeira do Barbasso.
Sunding 25.10.1972.
73-1831 C.V.: Sal: Monte Grande, alt. 400 m.
Sunding 19.10.1972.
70-1876 Can.: Lanzarote: Valle Haria. Puerto
de la Cruz, Tenerife, 1970 seed list
no. 186.
78-269 C.V.: Sao Nicolau. Alta Joaquina, alt.
500 m. Sunding 24.11.1976.
03 O
/O o m
14 74-89 73-1738 Can.: Gran Canaria: Vina Almagro.
Kunkel June 1973.
-4
LABIATAE
Salvia aegyptiaoa L.
SCROPHULARIACEAE
*Capraria biflora L.
28 10 78-89
C.60 11 78-99 7e
*Kiakxia brunneri (Benth.) Janchen 18 12 78-92 76
Sopophuldria smithii Hornem. 58 13 78-4
-285 C.V.: Santo Antao: Ribeira da Garca.
Sunding 10.11.1976.
-266 C.V.: Santo Antao: Ribeira da Garga.
Sunding 10.11.1976.
-265 C.V.: Sao Vicente: Monte Verde, 200 m.
Sunding 5.11.1976.
Can.: Tenerife: El Bailadero, alt.
790 m. Borgen 2476.
GLOBULARIACEAE
*Globularia amygdalifolia Webb 16 14' 78-101 78-284 C.V.: Santo Antao: Cova, alt. 1150 m.
Sunding 7.11.1976.
RUBIACEAE
Borreria vepticillata (L.) G. F. Meyer 28 15
COMPOSITAE
*Conyza feae (Béguin.) Wild
*Pluchea ovalis (Pers.) DC.
Tanacetum ptarmioiflorum (Webb)
Sch. Bip.
24 16
40 17
78-95
78-87
78-88
18 18 78-91
78-263 C.V.: Santiago: Orgaos Pequeñas NW of
S Domingos, alt. 400 m. Sunding
17.11.1976.
78-276 C.V.: Santo Antao: Montanho Conceicao,
alt. 1200 m. Sunding 7.11.1976.
78-277 C.V.: Sao Vicente: Monte Verde, alt.
200 m. Sunding 5.11.1976.
78-259 Can.: Gran Canaria: Risco Blanco. Ex
cult. Jardin Canario 'Viera y Clavijo',
Gran Canaria.
POACEAE
HeteTopogon oontortus (L.) PB.
ex Roem. et Schult. 60 19 78-103 78-2
Pennisetum polystachyon (L.) Schult. 72 20 74-72
C.V.: Santo Antao: Ribeira das Pedras,
alt. 1250 m. Sunding 9.11.1976.
73-1779 C.V.^ Fogo: Cha das Caldeiras, near
Fernao.Gomes, alt. 1600 m.
Sunding 1.11.1972.
CYPERACEAE
*Cavex aalderae A. Hans. c.68 21 78-100 78-294 Can.: Tenerife: Las Cañadas, Topo de
la Grieta, 2140 m. Borgen 3.3.1978.
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LEGENDS TO THE FIGURES
Figs. 1-21. Mitotic metaphase piales. Fig. I. Polycarpaea divaricala. Fig. 1. P. gayi. Fig. 3. Silene lagu-nensis.
Fig. 4. Crainhescaberrima. Fig. 5. Abrusprecatorius. Fig. 6. Euphorbia tuckeyana. Fig. 7. Ferw-
/o lanceroltensis. Fig. 8. Tornabenea hiña. Fig. 9. Limonium preauxii. Fig. 10. Salvia aegypliaca. Fig.
11. Capraria biflora. F\g. 12. Kickxia brunneri.Vig. 13. Scrophularia smilhii.Fig. 14. Globularia amyg-dalifolía.
Fig. 15. Borreria venicillala. Fig. 16. Co^^'jo/eop. Fig. 17. Pluchea ovalis. Fig. 18. Tanacetum
planniciflorum. Fig. 19. Heleropogon contorlus. Fig. 20. Pennisetum polysiachyon. Fig. 21. Carex cal-derae.
x. c. 2300.
76