Abstract:
Detailed meiotic studies were performed on pollen mother cells of three
Epimedium species (Berberidaceae), i.e.,
E. fargesii Franch,
E. leptorrhizum Stearn, and
E. pubescens Maxim, using wall degradation and hypotonic treatment. Results showed that the chromosome number for each of the three species was 2n = 12. Chromosome configurations and behaviors were very similar and most meiotic processes were normal. However, several abnormal meiotic behaviors were detected, including early separation of bivalents, chromosome bridges, early disjunction of sister chromatids, chromosome fragments, and asynchronous division. These chromosomal aberrations during meiosis may have induced the phylogenic evolution and speciation of
Epimedium plants to a certain extent.