Chromosome number count of some species of Centaurea L. sect. Cynaroides Boiss. (Asteraceae) in Iran

The genus Centaurea L. is one of the important genera that include 400 to 700 species in the world. The purpose of this study was to chromosome number count of three species of Centaurea sect. Cynaroides Boiss. from Iran. For this purpose, after the germination of the seeds, the end portion of the root was cut off and after the staining process, the metaphase plates was prepared by squashing method. In this study, the chromosome number obtained in C. alfonsoi Negaresh (2n=18), C. imperialis Hausskn. ex Bornm. (2n=18) and C. regia Boiss. subsp. cynarocephala (Wagenitz) Wagenitz (2n=18). Among these, the later species chromosome count was in the world for the first time whereas other taxa counts confirm previous reports and it indicates the chromosomal number stability in other populations of these taxa

Keywords:

Asteraceae , Centaurea sect. cynaroides , Chromosome number , Iran