Chromosome studies of South American Paniceae (Poaceae: Panicoideae)

Abstract

Chromosome numbers and observations on meiotic chromosome behaviour of 27 taxa of South American Paniceae are given. Of these, 6 are new counts. The taxa studied are: Axonopus suffultus (n = 10), Digitaria ciliaris (n = 18), Echinochloa crus-pavonis (n =ca. 18), Eriochloa punctata (n=18), lchnanthus minarum (n = 10), l. pallens (n = 10,n = ca. 20), l. tenuis (n = 10,n = 20), Oplismenus hirtellus (n = ca. 45), Panicum heliophilum (n = 9), P. sabulorum var polyciadum (n = ca. 18),  P. schwackeanum (n =10), P. stramineum (n =18), Paspalum almum (n = 12), P. bertonii (n = 10), P. candidum (n=ca. 20), P. commune (n = 20), P. compressifolium (n = 10), P. denticulatum (n = 20), P. humboldtianum (n = 10), P. inaequivalve (n = 30), P. indecorum (n = 10), P. malacophyllum (n = 20), P. aff. malacophyllum (n = 20), P. plicatulum (n = ca. 20), P. remotum (n = 40), P. umbrosum (n = 10), P, usteri (n = 20), and Pennisetum montanum (n = 16). New counts are given for lchnanthus minarum, Panicum heliophilum, P. schwackeanum, Paspalum  remotum, P. usteri, and Pennisetum montanum. Also, the counts given for Paspalum candidum, P. compressifolium, and P. humboldtianum, are different from the ones previously reported. The meiotic behaviour of some of the materials examined is discussed.