Morphology, reproduction and karyology in the rare Andean Poa gymnantha

NEGRITTO, M. A.; ROMANUTTI, A. A.; ACOSTA, M. C.; MOSCONE, E. A.; COCUCCI, A. E.; ANTON, A. M.

TAXON

International Association for Plant Taxonomy

Año: 2007 vol. 57

0040-0262

We report agamic reproduction in Poa gymnantha, an endemic species from the high Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, known only from pistillate plants. This is the first description of apomixis in Poa from South America. The species is a decaploid (2n = 10x = 70) with a basic karyotype formula of 4 m + 3 sm chromosomes. Diagnostic characters, geographic distribution and taxonomic circumscription of the species are given, along with illustrations. The paper contributes to a better understanding of floral morphology and reproduction in this agamic taxon.Poa gymnantha, an endemic species from the high Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, known only from pistillate plants. This is the first description of apomixis in Poa from South America. The species is a decaploid (2n = 10x = 70) with a basic karyotype formula of 4 m + 3 sm chromosomes. Diagnostic characters, geographic distribution and taxonomic circumscription of the species are given, along with illustrations. The paper contributes to a better understanding of floral morphology and reproduction in this agamic taxon.