Cytotaxonomy of some turkish Polygala L. (Polygalaceace) taxa with chromosome counting and flow cytometry (FCM) techniques

In this study, somatic chromosome numbers and 2C nuclear DNA contents of some Polygala species which are Polygala supina, P. anatolica, P. papilionacea, P. inexpectata, P. hohenackeriana, P. vulgaris, P. alpestris, P. peshmenii, P. turcica and P. monspeliaca taxa were investigated. The taxon with the lowest chromosome number in terms of chromosome numbers of the specimens was determined as P. alpestris (2n= 24), and the taxon with the highest chromosome number was determined as P. vulgaris (2n= 68, 2n= 70). According to chromosome count studies, tetraploidy with 2n=4x=68 chromosome number was detected in P. vulgaris species. Chromosome numbers of P. papilionacea (2n=42), P. inexpectata (2n=34), P. peshmenii (2n=34) and P. turcica (2n=38) species were determined for the first time. P. alpestris, P. papilionacea, P. anatolica and P. vulgaris taxa differed from all other taxa in terms of somatic chromosome numbers. Flow cytometric analysis (or nuclear DNA content analysis) was carried out on 24 different populations and 66 different individuals for these species. Based on the results of flow cytometric analysis the lowest 2C nuclear DNA content (0.50 pg) was observed in P. monspeliaca while the highest 2C nuclear DNA content (2.42 pg) was observed in P. alpestris. P. monspeliaca was easily distinguished from other taxa as it had the most different nuclear DNA content. In this study, both the chromosome count in 3 Polygala species and the 2C nuclear DNA content in 7 Polygala species were determined for the first time and it was determined that some of the Polygala taxa we studied were different from each other in terms of these values.