Abstract

Karyotype and morphology of mitotic chromosomes in six populations of the medicinal plant Papaver rhoeas collected from various geographical locations of the northwest of Iran were studied. Chromosome characteristics were measured from 10 complete metaphase cells using micromeasure software. The results showed that P. rhoeas is a diploid species with 2n=2x=14 chromosomes. The karyotype consisted of seven pairs of submetacentric chromosomes with one pairs of SAT chromosome (chromosome 2) having a secondary constriction at the end of its short arm. Karyological characteristics of all the materials studied were similar to each other; however, there were some variations on chromosome arm ratios and relative lengths among the different populations. All of the populations are placed on 4A class of Stebbin’s asymmetry categories.

Key words: Biodiversity, chromosome analysis, medicinal plants, Papaveraceae.