CYTOTAXONOMIC STUDIES IN VIGNA .3. CHROMOSOMAL DISTRIBUTION AND REACTING PROPERTIES OF THE HETEROCHROMATIN IN 5 WILD-SPECIES OF THE SECTIONVIGNA

The metaphase chromosomes of five wild species of the section Vigna of the genus Vigna, namely V, ambacensis, V. heterophylla, V. racemosa, V. marina, and V, gracilis were analysed in order to define the reacti ng properties to differential staining methods and chromosomal distrib ution of the different fractions of their heterochromatin, using C-ban ding and fluorochrome staining as discriminating techniques. Based on these characters it was possible to cluster the above species into thr ee homogeneous groups: V. ambacensis and V, heterophylla belong to the first cluster, V. racemosa is the only member of the second group, an d V. marina and V. gracilis form the third set. Species clustered into the first group show heterochromatin chromosomal distribution and rea cting properties more similar to those of the cultivated species V. un guiculata than the other two sets. These findings are compared to thos e of earlier studies on related species.