Premium
Karyology and hydridization in the Carex flava complex in Switzerland
Author(s) -
Schmid B.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
feddes repertorium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1522-239X
pISSN - 0014-8962
DOI - 10.1002/fedr.19820930103
Subject(s) - biology , karyotype , hybrid , introgression , carex , ploidy , botany , chromosome , zoology , meiosis , evolutionary biology , genetics , gene
The karyology of Carex flava aggregate in Switzerland was investigated. Fertility was measured and crossings were done. The microsporogenesis is described. In Switzerland, the C. flava group consists of C. flava var. flava (n = 30, 31), C. flava var. alpina (n = 30, 31), C. lepidocarpa (n = 34), C. demissa (n = 34, 35), and C. serotina (n = 34, 35, 36). The three species with high chromosome numbers often grow together with C. flava . Accordingly, F1‐hybrids with this parental species are frequent. Their meiosis and fertility are profoundly disturbed. With artificial hybrids, disturbances decrease as the differences in chromosome numbers of the parents decrease. Backcrossings with the parents over many generations lead to forms identical in morphology and fertility to the pure species, which are called stabilized cryptic backcrosses. The extensive genetic and karyotype‐variability within populations, particularly of C. flava , might be due to this introgression. In other parts of Europe (e.g. Britain) hybrids with C. flava as one parent are rare. As a consequence, introgression plays a little role and karyotypes are stable. Karyotype evolution in C. flava group is quite different from karyotype evolution in other Carex species. This is due to differences in life history tactics.