The systematic value of nuclear DNA content for all species of Narcissus L. (Amaryllidaceae)

Abstract

The taxonomy of all species of Narcissus (Amaryllidaceae), an important horticultural crop, has not been investigated recently. As a new approach, genome size was determined by flow cytometry with propidium iodide from 375 accessions. The somatic nuclear DNA contents (2C) were shown to range from 14 to 38 pg for the diploids. Narcissus assoanus and N. gaditanus are, based on their nuclear DNA content, removed from section Apodanthi and placed in a new section Juncifolii. The different ploidy levels and species involved were entangled for N. ''fernandesii'' s.l. and a new allotetraploid form is named here. Section Pseudonarcissus was much more heterogeneous in nuclear DNA content than expected. Sixty-five accessions of N. pseudonarcissus possessed, with 23.7 pg, similar amounts of DNA. However, several species from this section were clearly distinctive in nuclear DNA content. It runs from the diploid N. primigenius with 21.7 pg to the also diploid N. nevadensis with 38.2 pg. Also N. abscissus and N. moleroi are with about 26 pg clearly different from N. pseudonarcissus. For the first time, in 11 accessions, hexaploidy was found in N. pseudonarcissus ssp. bicolor. A new section Nevadensis with 30-39 pg of nuclear DNA was split off from the section Pseudonarcissus with now 21-27 pg. A nonoploid N. dubius with 96.3 pg has by far the highest amount of nuclear DNA and can be calculated to have the highest ploidy ever reported in Narcisssus. The total number of Narcissus species was determined as 36, nine more than in Flora Europaea and they were divided up in two subgenera and 11 sections. Flow cytometry is shown to produce easily obtainable and original systematic data that lead to new insights. Genome size or C-value turns out to be one of the most salient features to define the status of the species in the genus Narcissus.

The involvement of <i>Narcissus hispanicus</i> Gouan in the origin of <i>Narcissus bujei</i> and of cultivated trumpet daffodils (Amaryllidaceae)

“…These were compared with the genome sizes of all species (Zonneveld, 2008, Table 1). It turns out that doubling of the nuclear DNA content of 23.8 pg of N. pseudonarcissus falls short of the values found for the trumpet daffodils (Table 3).…”

“…Morphological similar looking species of trumpet daffodils of section Pseudonarcissi with a com plementing higher amount of nuclear DNA like N. hispanicus with 25.8 pg, N. poeticus with 26 pg and the hexaploid N. pseudonarcissus ssp. bicolor with 67.7 pg (Zonneveld, 2008) were selected and data on Table 2. Narcissus cultivars with their amount of nuclear DNA, average, standard deviation, chromosome number, origin and remarks.…”

“…(Zonneveld & Duncan, 2003b), Nerine Herb (Zonneveld & Duncan, 2006), Narcissus L. (Zonneveld, 2008) and Tulipa L. has shown that nuclear DNA content of species and cultivars can contribute to the taxonomy of species and the origin of hybrids. The N. pseudonarcissus L. complex has given rise in nature to many forms now accommodated in eight subspecies (Zonneveld, 2008 The taxonomy of all species of Narcissus (Amaryllidaceae) has been investigated recently by flow cytometry (Zonneveld, 2008). The somatic nuclear DNA contents (2C) were shown to range from 14 to 38 picogram for the diploids.…”

“…Se evaluaron otras especies de narciso trompeta de la sección Pseudonarcissi con una cantidad más alta de ADN nuclear complementaria, tales como N. hispanicus, con 25.8 pg, N. poeticus L., con 26 pg y el hexaploide N. pseudonarcissus ssp. bicolor (L.) Baker, con 67.7 pg (Zonneveld, 2008), entre otras. N. hispanicus, con 25.8 pg, se diferencia claramente de N. pseudonarcissus, con 23.8 pg, y también se acepta aquí como especie.…”

Genome sizes of Eucomis L’Hér. (Hyacinthaceae) and a description of the new species Eucomis grimshawii G.D.Duncan & Zonneveld

“…Primitive angiosperms are now supposed to have had small genomes; increases up to a factor of 1,000 have occurred independently in various modern taxa (Leitch et al 1998). Flow cytometry was successfully used to measure the 2C-value for the genera Hosta Tratt., Helleborus L., Clivia Lindl., Nerine Herb., Agapanthus L'Hér., Galanthus L., Narcissus L., Gasteria Duval., Tulipa L., etc., by Zonneveld ( , 2008Zonneveld ( , 2009), Zonneveld and Van Iren (2001), Duncan (2003, 2006), Zonneveld and Van Jaarsveld (2005) and . In this paper it is shown that genome size alone is not sufficient to discriminate all species of Eucomis.…”