Karyomorphological Studies in South Indian Rubiaceae
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_??_1987 by Cytologia, Tokyo Cytologia 52: 343-356, 1987 Karyomorphological Studies in South Indian Rubiaceae R. Selvaraj Department of Botany, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar -608 002, Tamil Nadu, India Accepted March 5, 1986 The Rubiaceae is popularly known as Madder family. Rubiaceae consist of 450 genera including 5,500 species and is one of the largest families of Dicotyledons. Majority of the taxa of Rubiaceae distributed both in tropical and temperate regions. There are 216 species coming in 45 genera in South India (Gamble 1957). Many workers have studied this family for cytological and cytogenetical investigations as well, but there has been no proper cyto genetical investigation as far as the South Indian taxa concerned. An attempt is made in the present work to understand the cytotaxonomical relationship in the light of our findings. Besides, in some of the taxa under investigation no record of cytological work is available and in others, the present study is for the sake of revision and or confirmation. Materials and methods The selected healthy fresh excised root tips were pretreated in 0.002M aqueous solution of 8-hydroxyquinoline kept at 4•Ž for 3 hours. After thorough washing, the root tips were fi xed in 1:3 acetic alcohol mixture (1:3) for at least three hours or overnight. Then they were squashed following Marimuthu and Subramaniam's (1960) iron alum haematoxylin squash schedule. Important plates were drawn with Abbe's camera lucida and some of them photo graphed. The chromosome numbers of taxa determined in the present study are listed in Table 1. Observations The following categorization of chromosomes has been made, with a view to describe the karyotype and to represent the same by karyotype formulae. This facilitates the understading of interspecific and intergeneric relationships of the taxa analysed. Type: A-Long chromosome (more than 5ƒÊ) with median or nearly median centromere. B-Long chromosome (more than 5ƒÊ) with sub-median centromere. C-Long chromosome (more than 5ƒÊ) with sub-terminal centromere. D-Medium chromosome (3ƒÊ to 5ƒÊ) with median or nearly median centromere. E-Medium chromosome (3ƒÊ to 5ƒÊ) with sub-median centromere. F-Medium chromosome (3ƒÊ to 5ƒÊ) with sub-terminal centromere. G-Short chromosome (1ƒÊ to 3ƒÊ) with median or nearly median centromere. H-Short chromosome (1ƒÊ to 3ƒÊ) with sub-median centromere. I-Short chromosome (1ƒÊ to 3ƒÊ) with sub-terminal centromere. J-Very short chromosome (less than 1ƒÊ) with median or nearly median centromere. K-Very short chromosome (less than 1ƒÊ) with sub-median centromere. L-Very short chromosome (less than 1ƒÊ) with sub-terminal centromere. B•L-B-chromosomes 344 R. Selvaraj Cytologia 52 Table 1. Chromosome numbers of the species investigated (Vide Fedorov 1974) 1987 Karyomorphological Studies in South Indian Rubiaceae 345 Table 1. continued 346 R. Selvaraj Cytologia 52 Table 1. continued Superscript S-Denotes the presence of satellite The diploid chromosome number of taxa; absolute chromosome length; range; karyotype and special remarks are the main features of observations in the present study listed in Table 2. Discussion The chromosome counts of 41 species belonging to 24 genera resolved in the present study are listed in Table 1. They range from 2n=18 to 2n=72. Of the 41 taxa studied, first record of chromosome counts have been made in Oldenlandia wightii, Neanotis indica, Ophiorrhiza pectinata, Mussaenda tomentosa, Knoxia mollis, K. wigh tiana, Pavetta tomentosa, P. indica var. montana, Coffea arabica var. San Ramon, Psychotria nudiflora and Luculia gratissima. Deviant chromosome counts have been observed as against the previous reports in Oldenlandia biflora and Serissa foetida. In the rest of the species studied, the present report of chromosome numbers confirms the earlier records of chromosome num bers. The present report of diploid number in Cinchona calisaya var. ledgeriana confirms that of Mendes (1939), in Dentella repens that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941), in Oldenlandia corymbosa that of Lewis (1965), in O. herbacea that of Lewis (1965), in O. umbellata that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941),in O. biflora that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941), in Mussaenda hirsutissima that of Khoshoo and Bhatia (1963), in M. erythrophylla that of Fagerlind (1937), in Hamelia patens that of Lewis (1962), in Tarenna asiatica that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941), in Canthium parvii forum that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941), in Ixora coccinea that of Sharma and Chatterji (1960), in I. singaporensis that of Sharma and Chatterji (1960), in I. chinensis that of Sharma and Chatterji (1960), in Pavetta laeta that of Homeyer (1932), in Coffea arabica that of Mendes (1938b) and Krug (1936, 1937), in C. robusta that of Heyn (1936), Orlido and Capinpin (1957), in C. excelsa that of Fagerlind (1937), in Morinda coreia that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941), in Borreria articularis that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941), in B. pusilla that of Raghavan and Rangaswamy (1941), Ruaia cordifolia that of Khoshoo and Bhatia (1963), in Galium rotundifolium that of Khoshoo and Bhatia (1963), in G. asperifolium that of Fagerlind (1937), in Pentas lanceolata that of Lewis (1962), in Guettarda speciosa that of Raghavan and Srinivasan (1941b), in Coprosma lucida that of Homeyer (1935), in C. baueri that of Poucques (1949a), in Rondeletia amoena that of Fagerlind (1937), and in Serissa foetida that of Fagerlind (1937). 1987 Karyomorphological Studies in South Indian Rubiaceae 347 Out of the 41 species studied here, 2n= 18 chromosomes have been observed in Oldenlandia herbacea, 2n=20 chromosomes have been observed in Pentas lanceolata, 2n=22 chromosomes have been observed in the following species like Mussaenda tomentosa, M. hirsutissima, M. erythrophylla, Tarenna asiatica, Ixora coccinea, I. singaporensis, I. chinensis, Pavetta laeta, P. tomentosa, P. indica var. montana, Coffea robusta, Psychotria nudiflora, Morinda coreia, Rubia Figs. 1-41a. Drawings of mitotic metaphase plates (except. Figs. 32, 35).•~1250. 1, Cinchona calisaya var. ledgeriana (2n=34). 2, Dentella repens (2n=36). 3, Oldenlandia corymbosa (2n= 36). 4, O. herbacea (2n=18). 5, O. umbellata (2n=36). 6, O. wightii (2n=36). 7, O. biflora (2n=54). 7a, O. biflora (2n=72). 8, Neanotis indica (2n=72). 9, Ophiorrhiza pectinata (2n=44). 10, Mussaenda tomentosa (2n=22). 11, M. hirsutissima (2n=22). 1la, M. hirsutissima (2n= 22). 12, M. erythrophylla (2n=22). 13, Hamelia patens (2n=24). 14, Tarenna asiatica (2n=22). Table 2. Table pertaining the details of the name of the taxa, its absolute chromosome lengths, range, karyotype and remarks of the various species of Rubiaceae studied here 1987 Karyomorphological Studies in South Indian Rubiaceae 349 350 R. Selvaraj Cytologia 52 cordifolia, Galium rotundifolium, Coprosma baueri and Serissa foetida, 2n=24 chromosomes have been observed in Hamelia patens, 2n=34 chromosomes have been observed in Cinchona calisaya var. ledgeriana, 2n=36 chromosomes have been observed in the following species of Figs. 14a-30. 14a, Tarenna asiatica (2n=22). 15, Knoxia mollis (2n=44). 16, K. wightiana (2n=44). 17, Canthium parviflorum (2n=44). 18, Ixora coccinea (2n=22). 19, IL singaporensis (2n=22). 20, IL chinensis (2n=22). 21, Pavetta laeta (2n=22). 22, P. tomentosa (2n=22). 23, P. indica var. montana (2n=22). 24, Coffea arabica (2n=44). 25, C. arabica var. San Ramon (2n=44). 26, C. robusta (2n=22). 26a, C. robusta (2n=44). 26b, C. robusta (2n=40). 27, C. excelsa (2n=44). 28, Psychotria nudiflora (2n=22). 28a, P. nudiflora (2n=44). 29, Morinda coreia (2n=22). 30. Borreria articularis (2n=56). 1987 Karyomorphological Studies in South Indian Rubiaceae 351 Dentella repens, Oldenlandia corymbosa, O. umbellata and O. wightii, 2n=40 chromosomes have been observed in Rondeletia amoena, 2n=44 chromosomes have been observed in the species of Ophiorrhiza pectinata, Knoxia mollis, K. wightiana, Canthium parviflorum, Coffea arabica, Figs. 31-41a. 31, Borreria pusilla (2n=56). 32, Rubia cordifolia (2n=22)-prometaphase. 32a, R. cordifolia (2n=22). 33, Galium rotundifolium (2n=22). 34, G. asperifolium (2n=44). 34a, G. asperifolium (2n=66). 35, Pentas lanceolata (2n=20)-prometaphase. 35a, P. lanceolata (2n=20). 36, Guettarda speciosa (2n=44). 37, Coprosma lucida (2n=44). 38, C. baueri (2n=22). 39, Rondeletia amoena (2n=40). 40, Luculia gratissima (2n=44). 41, Serissa foetida (2n=22). 41 a, S. foetida (2n=44). 352 R. Selvaraj Cytologia 52 C. arabica var. San Ramon, C. excelsa, Galium asperifolium, Guettarda speciosa, Coprosma lucida and Luculia gratissima, 2n=54 chromosomes have been observed in Oldenlandia biftora, 2n= 56 chromosomes have been observed in Borreria articularis and in B. pusilla, and 2n=72 chro Figs. 42-55. Photomicrographs of mitotic metaphase plates. 42, Cinchona calisava var . ledgeriana (2n=34). 43, Ophiorrhiza pectinata (2n=44). 44, Hamelia patens (2n=24) . 45, Ixora chinensis (2n=22). 46, Pavetta laeta (2n=22). 47, Ixora coccinea (2n=22). 48, Mus saenda erythrophylla (2n=22). 49, Tarenna asiatica (2n=22). 50, Mussaenda tomentosa (2n=22) . 51, Pavetta indica var. montana (2n=22). 52, Neanotis indica (2n=72). 53, Ixora singaporensis (2n=22). 54, Coffea robusta (2n=22). 55, Borreria pusilla (2n=56). •~1250. 1987 Karyomorphological Studies in South Indian Rubiaceae 353 mosomes have been observed in Neanotis indica. A common survey of the chromosome numbers in Rubiaceae reveals the existence of graded series of haploid numbers, namely, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 51, 52, 54, 66, 77, 91, 94 and 110 (the so-called Carex type and Antirrhinum type of Tischler (1937), suggesting an increase by a few chromosome or by one chromosome). Of these haploid numbers, n=11 and n=22 represented the highest frequency among the taxa so far investigated in the family and in this present investigation the taxa showed the same haploid numbers, n=11 and n=22, representing Figs.