title: Chromosome Karyotypes of Echinacea angustifolia var. angustifolia and E. purpurea.
abstract: Chromosome karyotypes of the most commonly cultivated and medicinally used Echinacea taxa, E. angustifolia DC. var. angustifolia and E. purpurea (L.) Moench., were analyzed. The chromosomes of both taxa are medium in length, ranging from 4.12 to 5.83 μm in E. angustifolia var. angustifolia and 3.99 to 6.08 μm in E. purpurea. No abrupt length changes in the chromosomes were noted. The karyotypes of the two species are generally similar, but a distinguishable feature exists in one pair of chromosomes. The centromere of chromosome pair 10 is subterminally located in E. purpurea, but terminally located in E. angustifolia var. angustifolia, which can be readily recognized in mitotic metaphase cell plates. This finding may provide useful information for Echinacea evolutionary, genetic, and breeding studies.
authors.affiliation: Gaia Herbs, Inc., 108 Island Ford Road, Brevard, NC 28712.
authors.forename: Luping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Xiping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Eatherley
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: Meihua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scalzo