Comparative chromosome studies in species of subtribe Orchidinae (Orchidaceae)

In our study, FISH mapping using 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA and 5S rDNA sequences was performed for the first time on Ophrystenthredinifera Willdenow, 1805, Serapiasvomeracea (Burman f., 1770) Briquet, 1910 and Himantoglossumhircinum (Linnaeus, 1753) Sprengel, 1826. A detailed study was also performed on O.tenthredinifera using Giemsa-staining, silver-staining, CMA fluorescence banding and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with rDNA probes. We analysed two subspecies, i.e. O.tenthrediniferasubsp.neglecta (Parlatore, 1860) E.G. Camus, 1908 and O.tenthrediniferasubsp.grandiflora (Tenore, 1819) Kreutz, 2004 by the traditional Feulgen method and constructed the karyotype. The cytotaxonomic implications for both taxa are also discussed. In Himantoglossumhircinum, FISH and silver staining highlighted differences in the number of two rDNA families (35S and 5S) with respect to Barliarobertiana (Loiseleur-Deslongchamps, 1807) Greuter, 1967. In addition, fluorescence in situ hybridisation was also applied to diploid (2n = 2x = 36) and triploid (2n = 3x = 54) Anacamptismorio (Linnaeus, 1753) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon et M.W. Chase, 1997. As far as we are aware, this is the first case of autotriploidy observed in A.morio.