RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUCLEAR-DNA CONTENT AND SPECIATION IN ALYSICARPUS

4C nuclear DNA contents were determined in 11 collections of Alysicarp us Neck. representing 9 species and 3 varieties. The 4C nuclear DNA co ntents varied from 9.225 to 13.194 picograms. A clustering of DNA valu es were observed in the species and varieties belonging to different s ub-genera. A. belgaumensis which has a higher chromosome number of 2n = 22 showed the maximum DNA content as compared to the rest of the spe cies and varieties which have chromosome number 2n = 16. Per-chromosom e DNA amounts showed that A. belgaumensis has more affinity to members of Microcalycinae. Observations on the DNA contents indicated that th e sub-genus Desmodiastrum may have originated from a common ancestor a s Microcalycinae and Macrocalycinae or from some species of Microcalyc inae by aneuploidy without increase in per-chromosome DNA content. The development of Macrocalycinae seems to be associated with increase in perchromosome DNA content. This is in agreement with PRAIN's classifi cation of the genus as consisting of 3 sub-genera and members of Desmo diastrum as belonging to the genus Alysicarpus rather than Desmodium.