• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.220-228
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• 2009

C-banded karyotypes of eight taxa of Korean Allium sect. Sacculiferum were examined by means of Giemsa techniques. Each of the taxa had their own characteristic bands. Most of the bands on the somatic metaphase chromosomes were mainly located on the short arm, intercalary region and medium sized chromosomes. In addition, the heterochromatic bands were usually facultative, recognized as two spots, and all investigated taxa had a pair of satellites of heterochromatin. The similarities of total length and number of bands revealed that three varieties of A. thunbergii G. Don have a closer cytological relationship than the others. The C-banding patterns of A. longistylum and A. linearifolium were examined for the first time in this study, and the former was clearly distinguished from the others by the distribution and number of its bands. The proportion of heterochromatic bands suggested that A. thunbergii var. thunbergii is the most primitive, and A. sacculiferum the most advonced, within the section.