The Giemsa C-banded karyotype of Crithopsis delileana (Poaceae; Triticeae)

Three populations of Crithopsis delileana had similar karyotypes. They incl uded 14 large chromosomes; five pairs of metacentrics, one pair of submetac entrics, and one pair of metacentric SAT-chromosomes with rather small sate llites. The karyotypes of two populations were investigated in detail throu gh application of Giemsa C-banding, Giemsa N-banding and AgNO3-staining to meta- and interphases. The C-banding patterns included a few small to very small, mainly centromeric or telomeric bands. The chromosomes of the two po pulations were differentiated by banding pattern polymorphism. Banding patt erns identified homologous and discriminated among non-homologous chromosom es within the same population. The scarcity of diagnostic bands prevented i dentification of homologous chromosomes between populations beyond the leve l obtained from morphology, i.e., of submetacentrics and SAT chromosomes. N -banding produced no or few weak bands. Silver nitrate staining produced tw o NORs and two nucleoli corresponding to the number of SAT-chromosomes. The data give some support to a hypothesis of a closer relationship between th e genera Crithopsis and Taeniatherum, than between either of these and the genera Psathyrostachys and Hordeum.