Cytogenetics and morphological delimitation between three species of Passiflora L. (subgenus Distephana Cervi)

Abstract

Several studies on cytogenetic characterisation of passion flowers are helpful to elucidate doubts about taxa relationships, delimitation and classification into more coherent groups based on karyomorphological data.• Molecular and conventional cytogenetic techniques were applied to three Passiflora species with red flowers, P. coccinea, P. vitifolia and P. tholozanii, for species karyotype relationships. Additionally, for descriptive morphology, were used flowers, leaves and seeds.• Results describe for the first time the karyomorphological and chromosome number (2n = 18) for P. tholozanii. ANOVA was performed (P < 0.05) and statistical significance for average chromosome size (CV: 16.53%) between species. Genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) proved relationships between P. coccinea and P. tholozanii, which suggests a common origin, however, we could not identify hybridisation between genomic probes from P. vitifolia in P. tholozanii chromosomes. Among the species analysed, P. tholozanii has great similarity in karyotypic and morphology to P. coccinea but not to P. vitifolia.• We suggest the inclusion of P. tholozanii in the same subgenus and section as P. coccinea based on the similarity in karyomorphological and morphological traits between the species. Additionally, GISH might indicate a common or hybrid origin of P. tholozanii.Plant Biology 21 (2019) 662-669

Origin of the cultivated passion fruit Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa and genomic relationships among species of the subgenera Decaloba and Passiflora

“…In this study, a slightly non‐specific hybridization of P. vitifolia genomic probes on P. tholozanii chromosomes was examined, whereas hybridization of a chromosome complement in P. tholozanii has been observed when the P. coccinea genomic probe was used, revealing that P. tholozanii may be a natural hybrid related to P. coccinea (Oliveira et al . 2019).…”