A karyosystematic study of the genusBellevaliaLapeyr. (Hyacinthaceae) in Greece

Abstract

The genus Bellevalia is represented in Greece by eight taxa, three of which are endemic. Bellevalia brevipedicellata (2n = 8) and B. sitiaca (2n = 16) are restricted to the island of Kriti, while B. hyacinthoides (2n = 8, 12) is distributed in the Kiklades Islands, the central and southern mainland and the Ionian Islands. Four taxa, i.e. B. dubia subsp. boissieri (2n = 8), B. trifoliata (2n = 8), B. romana (2n = 8) and B. ciliata (2n = 8, 16) are Mediterranean elements. The presence of B. edirnensis (2n = 24) is reported as new for the Greek flora. New ploidy levels of three Bellevalia species (triplo-, tetra-and hexaploids) are reported for the first time. The main morphological features, the chromosome numbers, the karyotype morphology, as well as the geographical distribution and further issues of taxonomy and conservation of all Bellevalia taxa in Greece are presented and discussed.

Mediterranean chromosome number reports – 24

“…& Schult. f., which, however, is a diploid with 2n = 8, as ascertained in the several different subspecies (Bothmer & Wendelbo 1981, Bareka & al. 2008, Borzatti & al.…”

Bellevalia juliana(Asparagaceae), a new hexaploid species from E Kriti (Greece)

“…In Greece, eight taxa of the genus have been recorded to date (Bareka 2008; Bareka et al 2008Bareka et al , 2012 (2n ¼ 4x ¼ 16), both belonging to B. sect. Bellevalia and restricted to the island of Kriti (Crete).…”

“…Kunth (Zakhariyeva & Makushenko 1969;) and B. sarmatica (Johnson & Brandham 1997). So far, hexaploid populations have been evidenced in several species (Table II), only one species of which, Bellevalia edirnensis, from European Turkey and NE Greece, seems to be exclusively hexaploid (Ö zhatay et al 1991a, 1991bBareka 2008;Bareka et al 2008Bareka et al , 2012.…”

“…Bareka et al B. boissieri, see Borzatti von Loewenstern et al 2013) from Italy, Pogosyan (1975) and Pogosyan and Torosyan (1983) studied two triploid individuals of B. sarmatica Misc. collected from the former Soviet Union and Bareka et al (2008Bareka et al ( , 2012 found a triploid population of B. hyacinthoides from Kefalonia (Ionian Islands). Only two species of the genus have exclusively octoploid karyotypes, with 2n ¼ 8x ¼ 32 chromosomes, namely B. longistyla (Misez.)…”

Karyological investigations and new chromosome number reports in Bellevalia Lapeyrouse, 1808 and Muscari Miller, 1758 (Asparagaceae) from Algeria

“…On the basis of morphological criteria, they have been traditionally linked together (Garbari and Greuter 1970) and their close relationship was supported by molecular phylogeny, placing them in the same clade (Pfosser and Speta 1999). Moreover, the geographical range of both genera covers the same areas from the western Mediterranean region (Morocco, Algeria) eastwards throughout Europe and southwestern Asia (Johnson 2003, Nersesian 2001, Bareka et al 2008, Jafari et al 2008, Jafari 2012a, 2012b, Borzatti Von Loewenstern et al 2013, Demirci et al 2013). However, from the karyological point of view, Bellevalia and Muscari , differ significantly from each other.…”