Karyotype analysis and FISH mapping using 45S rDNA sequences on 6 economically important plant species Anthurium
andraeanum Linden ex André, 1877, Monstera
deliciosa Liebmann, 1849, Philodendron
scandens Koch & Sello, 1853, Spathiphyllum
wallisii Regel, 1877, Syngonium
auritum (Linnaeus, 1759) Schott, 1829 and Zantedeschia
elliottiana (Knight, 1890) Engler, 1915 within the monocotyledonous family Araceae (aroids) were performed. Chromosome numbers varied between 2n=2x=24 and 2n=2x=60 and the chromosome length varied between 15.77 µm and 1.87 µm. No correlation between chromosome numbers and genome sizes was observed for the studied genera. The chromosome formulas contained only metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes, except for Philodendron
scandens in which also telocentric and subtelocentric chromosomes were observed. The highest degree of compaction was calculated for Spathiphyllum
wallisii (66.49Mbp/µm). B-chromosome-like structures were observed in Anthurium
andraeanum. Their measured size was 1.87 times smaller than the length of the shortest chromosome. After FISH experiments, two 45S rDNA sites were observed in 5 genera. Only in Zantedeschia
elliottiana, 4 sites were seen. Our results showed clear cytogenetic differences among genera within Araceae, and are the first molecular cytogenetics report for these genera. These chromosome data and molecular cytogenetic information are useful in aroid breeding programmes, systematics and evolutionary studies.