Cytogeography of E uropean perennial species of C yanus ( A steraceae)

To reveal the general cytogeographical pattern of C yanus section P rotocyanus in E urope, DNA ploidy and/or chromosome numbers were newly examined for 160 populations by flow cytometry (450 plants) and/or chromosome counting (30 plants). Furthermore, previously published karyological data were revised (236 records). Our analyses confirmed chromosome counts of 2 n  = 22 for all newly investigated samples of the C . triumfetti group (the records for C . semidecurrens and C . ternopoliensis are new), C . diospolitanus and C . achtarovii ; 2 n  = 44 for C . montanus and C . mollis ; and 2 n  = 20 for C . lingulatus , C . napulifer , C . nissanus , C . orbelicus , C . thirkei , C . tuberosus and C . velenovskyi . The chromosome count of 2 n  = 20 is the first report for C . epirotus . The cytotype 2 n  = 40 was newly recorded for the C rimean endemic C . fuscomarginatus and C alabrian and G reek populations of C . graminifolius . The cytotypes 2 n  = 20 and 2 n  = 40 were confirmed for C . pindicola . For the first time triploidy (2 n ∼3 x ∼30) was found in C . nissanus , C . thirkei and in a newly discovered hybrid, C . epirotus  ×  C . graminifolius . Two contrasting ecogeographical patterns emerged: cytotypes derived from the base chromosome number x  = 11 (2 n  = 22, 44) are widespread in northern latitudes and ecologically diverse, whereas cytotypes with x  = 10 (2 n  = 20, 30, 40) are confined to mountains in southern Europe. In general, tetraploids have smaller ranges than diploids. The new combinations C yanus section P rotocyanus ( D obrocz.) O lšavská comb. nov. and C yanus ternopoliensis ( D obrocz.) O lšavská comb. nov. are provided. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2013, 173 , 230–257.