Bothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation (Dec 1983)

A karyotypic and anatomical study of an unidentified liliaceous plant

  • J. J. Spies,
  • D. S. Hardy

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4102/abc.v14i2.1161
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 2
pp. 215 – 217

Abstract

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An unidentified sterile liliaceous plant and three possible relatives were studied karyotypically and anatomically. All these plants have a somatic chromosome number of 2n = 14. The possibility of the sterile plant having arisen as a result of a mutation appears unlikely, when compared with the possibility of hybrid origin. Chromosome morphology rules out Bulbine latifolia (L.f.) R. & S. and Aloe arborescens Mill, as possible parents. The sterile plant and Aloe marlothii Berger have similar karyotypes and. therefore. A. marlothii may be one of the parents. A close relationship between the sterile plant and the genus Aloe is further confirmed by their similar epidermal structure.