Morphometric and Cytogenetic Studies in Mimosa diversipila (Mimosoideae, Leguminosae) and Their Taxonomic and Evolutionary Inferences

MATÍAS MORALES; LUIS ARENAS; MARÍA I. REMIS; WULFF, ARTURO; LIDIA POGGIO; RENÉE H. FORTUNATO

SYSTEMATIC BOTANY

AMER SOC PLANT TAXONOMISTS

Lugar: Laramie; Año: 2014 vol. 39 p. 875 - 883

0363-6445

Here we describe the morphological variability, chromosome number, and chromosome size in Mimosa diversipila. This species comprises two varieties, which are distinguished by the indumentum. However, this character is insufficient for circumscription of these infraspecific taxa. Using multivariate techniques, we found that quantitative characters were useful for identification of the varieties, which also have a different geographic distribution. Cytogenetic studies revealed that these taxa form a polyploid complex and that the polyploidy may contribute to the morphological variability observed.