Cytological Observations on Caragana material from Botanical Gardens in the Netherlands

Root tips counts in 11 species, varieties and forms of the genus Caragana resulted in 2n = 16 for eleven of them: tetraploid 2n = 32 was found for C.frutex K. Koch f latifolia Schneid, which is in accordance to a former report of Tschechow (C. frutescens DC. being synonymous with C. frutex K. Koch) and C. spinosa DC. No differences in chromosome type could be found for the species, except that in ~ C. aurantiaca Koehne the chromosomes are more slender and somewhat smaller and that the two tetraploids are differing considerably in total chromosome length; it is suggested, moreover, that C. frutex is of allopolyploidous nature. The still considerable chaos in Caragara taxonomy and nomenclature cannot be cleared before a more thorough study is being made of the ecological factors, the geographical distribution and the cytology together with the genetics in this typical Mongolian genus.