A karyomorphological study of the genus Allium (sect. Melanocrommyum) from Turkey

This paper reports mitotic chromosome numbers of 19 taxa of Allium L. sect. Melanocrommyum Webb et Berthel. from Turkey. Karyotypes of 18 species of Allium sect. Melanocrommyum were diploid with 2n = 16, only A. cyrilli Ten. was tetraploid with 2n = 32. This study includes first reports for 11 Allium species (A. elmaliense I. G. Deniz et Sumbul, A. lycaonicum Siehe ex Hayek, A. asclepiadeum Bornm., A. nemrutdaghense Kit Tan & Sorger, A. colchicifolium Boiss., A. shatakiense Rech. fil., A. woronowii Miscz., A. nabelekii Kamelin et Seisums, A. stenopetalum Boiss. et Kotschy, A. noeanum Reuter ex Regel, A. tubergenii Freyn). The chromosome count of A. orientale, collected from Turkey, is also reported for the first time in this study. Four accessions (A. nemrutdaghense, A. colchicifolium, A. chrysantherum, and A. cardiostemon) have B-chromosomes. Seven parameters for analyzing karyotype asymmetry were assessed and karyotypic ideograms of 19 taxa of Allium (sect. Melanocrommyum) are given. Microphotographs of somatic metaphases are also provided. All karyotypes are symmetrical, consisting of metacentric and submetacentric chromosome pairs. Only A. nabelekii and A. tubergenii have subtelocentric chromosomes. Karyotype analysis according to Stebbins categories placed chromosomes of studied taxa in symmetric class of 2A, indicating a symmetric karyotype. Only A. noeanum was classified in group 2B. Analysis of karyotype formulae showed that, in general, species of sect. Melanocrommyum form a homogeneous group.