Karyological observations on 7 species and 2 varieties of 4 genera belonging to the
Chloranthaceae demonstrate the presence of three basic chromosome numbers within the family, i.e., x = 8 (
Hedyosmum), 13 (
Ascarina) and 15 (
Chloranthus, Sarcandra). The karyomorphology of
Chloranthus and
Ascarina is similar, whereas
Sarcandra and
Hedyosmum display unique characteristics. Both karyological aspects, i.e., chromosome number and karyomorphology, demonstrate remarkable diversity of
Chloranthaceae and complex relationships between its genera. A distant affinity between
Chloranthaceae and
Piperales is suggested.
Key words
Magnoliidae
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Chloranthaceae
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Ascarina
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Chloranthus
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Hedyosmum
-
Sarcandra
- Chromosome numbers - karyomorphology - phylogeny
Presented at the XV International Botanical Congress Yokohama 1993, Symposium on Relationships and Evolution of Primitive Angiosperms: Multidisciplinary Approaches.