Meiotic chromosome numbers of five Carex taxa in Korea (Cyperaceae)

Article information

Korean J. Pl. Taxon. 2018;48(3):201-205
Publication date (electronic) : 2018 September 30
doi : https://doi.org/10.11110/kjpt.2018.48.3.201
Department of Medicinal Plant Science, Jungwon University, Goesan 28014, Korea
1Department of Biology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
*Author for correspondence: kchung@jwu.ac.kr
Received 2018 August 31; Revised 2018 September 19; Accepted 2018 September 27.

Abstract

Carex L. (Cyperaceae) is the largest angiosperm genus in the temperate zones with more than 2,000 species worldwide. Unusual chromosome structures, called holocentric chromosomes, have been postulated to contribute to species diversity in the genus. In Korea, this genus has the greatest number of species, but chromosome information as it pertains to the taxa is mostly unknown. Here, we report meiotic chromosome numbers of five Carex taxa in Korea. The following observations are made: Carex jaluensis Kom. (n = 27II, 28II, 29II, 30II), C. japonica Thunb. (n = 28II, 29II), C. planiculmis Kom. (n = 30II), C. miyabei Franch. (n = 33II, 36II), C. neurocarpa Maxim. (n = 51II, 53II, 54II). Except for C. planiculmis, all of the species exhibit variations in chromosome numbers within individuals and/or taxa. The findings with regard to chromosome number diversity in Carex suggest that chromosome number variation (aneuploidy, agmatoploidy and/or symploidy) plays an important role in the richness of the species in the genus. Further cytological investigations are needed for a better understanding of sedge diversity in Korean flora.

Genus Carex L. (Cyperaceae), characterized with unisexual flowers and saclike structures in pistillate flowers (perigynia), is the largest angiosperm genus in the temperate zone with more than 2,000 species worldwide (Reznicek, 1990; Global Carex Group, 2015). The genus occurs in broad range of habitats from high mountains to riversides, and from sunny to shady areas (Egorova, 1999; Global Carex Group, 2015). One of the most intriguing characteristics, along high species diversity in the genus, is extremely broad variations in chromosome numbers ranging from n = 6 to n = 66, with every haploid number between n = 6 and n = 48 (Tanaka, 1949; Davies, 1956; Roalson, 2008; Hipp et al., 2009). The cytogenetic variance has been postulated to be associated with non-localized centromeres, holocentric chromosomes (Luceño and Guerra, 1996; Hipp et al., 2010). Unlike monocentric chromosomes, holocentric chromosomes can be fragmented and fused during cell divisions, which facilitates chromosome number increases (agmatoploidy) and/or decreases (symploidy) (Luceño and Guerra, 1996; Hipp et al., 2013). Because chromosome number variation in Carex is not necessarily associated with DNA duplication and/or deletion, it is called agmatoploidy or symploidy distinguished from aneuploidy (Nishikawa et al., 1984; Luceño and Guerra, 1996; Chung et al., 2011). Chromosome investigations have provided important information on taxonomy and phylogeny of Carex (Rothrock et al., 2009; Yano et al., 2010), and high variations in chromosome numbers have been hypothesized to play an important role on the rapid speciation in recently diverged lineages in the genus (Hipp, 2007; Hipp et al., 2009, 2010; Chung et al., 2012; Escudero et al., 2012).

In Korea, Carex is the most species-rich genus with about 180 native taxa, and Cyperaceae (sedge family) is the second largest family after Asteraceae (sunflower family) (Kim et al., 2008; Park et al., 2016). Although chromosome number information is critical to understand Carex diversity, chromosome investigations on Korean Carex taxa have not been actively conducted. Among about 180 Korean native Carex, only 18 taxa have chromosome numbers reported (Kim, 2006; Lee and Kim, 2008; Chung et al., 2013; Chung et al., 2016, 2017; Chung et al., 2018). The studies demonstrate polyploidy in Carex section Siderostictae Franch. ex Ohwi and continuous number variations within and/or among individuals or species in most of the sections investigated. In addition, a basal linage in Carex, sect. Siderosticatae, exhibits large chromosomes (about 2–4 μm long) with small numbers (2n = 12), whereas recently diverged linages have smaller chromosomes (less than 1 μm long) with high numbers and continuous number variations (Chung et al., 2013; Yano et al., 2014; Jiménez-Mejías et al., 2016; Chung et al., 2017).

In this paper, we report meiotic chromosome numbers of five Carex species from Korean populations and discuss their taxonomic, cytological significances.

Materials and Methods

The chromosome numbers of five Carex species from Korean populations were analyzed. To determine meiotic chromosome numbers, young spikes were fixed in natural habitats in May and June in 2015, 2016, and 2018. The methods for chromosome observation mainly followed Rothrock and Reznicek (1996) and Chung et al. (2016) using a fixing mixture of methanol, chloroform, and propionic acid (6:3:2). Fixed anthers were quashed in 1% or 2% acetic-orcein and observed at 1,000× magnification (Nikon Eclipse 50i, Nikon, Tokyo, Japan). To have acute analyses, each meiotic chromosome figure was drawn and photographed. In addition, meiotic chromosome numbers (n) were determined after observations of at least three pollen mother cells per sample. All voucher specimens were collected in June and July 2018 and stored at the Korea National Arboretum Herbarium (KH) (Table 1).

Species, locality, voucher specimens, and chromosome numbers of Carex studied.

Results and Discussion

Meiotic chromosome numbers studied are tabulated with previous records (Table 1), and representative meiotic chromosome figures are presented (Fig. 1). All chromosomes are less than 1 μm long, none of the species exhibit distinct primary constriction, and only bivalents are observed.

  1. Carex jaluensis Kom. (n = 27II, 28II, 29II, 30II) (Fig. 1A–C) – Sect. Anomalae J. Carey

    This is the first report of chromosome number for C. jaluensis, n = 27II, 28II, 29II, 30II. The chromosome number variation within an individual and/or species is not unusual in Carex (Chung et al., 2011). There is always some room for technical, artificial mistakes, but it is also possible to see more than one chromosome number per taxon in holocentric chromosome processing organisms (Hoshino, 1981; Luceño and Guerra., 1996; Chung et al., 2011). The species occurs in Korea, China, and Russia; and in Korea it is found mainly in the Middle East regions (Park et al., 2016). The chromosome number variation within species is more closely related with morphological diversity and diverging time (genetic diversity) than geographic diversity (Hipp et al., 2010; Chung et al., 2012). Further chromosome investigations with geographic and morphological features are required for the species. Most species in the sect. Anomalae occur in Australia (Dai et al., 2010).

  2. C. japonica Thunb. (n = 28II, 29II) (Fig. 1D) – Sect. Molliculae Ohwi

    In an individual of C. japonica, two meiotic chromosome numbers n = 28II, 29II are observed, which is the first count from a Korean population. Previous chromosome counts for the species are made with Japanese individuals, 2n = 62 (Table 1) (Hoshino et al., 2011). The species is commonly found in forests and sunny grasslands in China, Japan and Korea (Dai et al., 2010; Hoshino et al., 2011; Park et al., 2016). Although the species distributes widely, variation in morphological characters is not significant. Various chromosome numbers for the species might be related with broad geographic distribution or recent speciation events (Chung et al., 2012). To understand the chromosome variation in the species, taxonomic and phylogenetic studies besides cytological research with more population samples covering all the distribution areas should be conducted.

  3. C. planiculmis Kom. (n = 30II) – Sect. Molliculae

    We observed meiotic chromosomes of n = 30II from C.planiculmis, which is incongruent with previous reports, 2n = 62 (Hoshino et al., 2011). The species is only found in East Asia (North East China, Japan, Korea, Far East Russia), growing in wet places in the forest (Dai et al., 2010; Hoshino et al., 2011; Park et al., 2016). Because only two chromosome number counts have been made for the species sampled from only the two geographic regions, additional investigations should be conducted to determine chromosome number variation range in the species. In the section Molliculae, Hoshino et al. (2011) reported chromosome numbers for C. doniana Spreng. (2n = 62), C. planiculmis (2n = 62), C. japonica (2n = 62), and C. mollicula Boott (2n = 56, 66, 68, 70). About 20 species occur in East and South East Asia with high diversity in China, in which 18 Carex sect. Molliculae species occur including nine endemics (Dai et al., 2010).

  4. C. miyabei Franch. (n = 33II, 36II) – Sect. Carex

    The meiotic chromosome number for the species is n = 33II and 36II. This is the second count from Korean populations and incongruent from the both previous reports from a Japanese population, 2n = 90 (Tanaka, 1948) and Korean populations, 2n = 84 (Chung et al., 2018). The species has been considered endemic to Japan until the very recently (Hoshino et al., 2011). However, the species occurs throughout Korea and has been often misidentified as C. glabrescens (Kük) Ohwi (Im et al., 2008; Park et al., 2016). Variations in morphological characters such as perigynium shapes and surface features have made it hard to distinguish the two taxa from each other. Chromosome numbers of C. glabrescens are unknown. Chromosome number variation in the section Carex has been found (ex. C. drymophila Turcz. ex Steud.) (Chung et al., 2018). Taxonomic and cytological research should be conducted to understand the two morphologically confusing taxa in the section.

  5. C. neurocarpa Maxim. (n = 51II, 53II, 54II) (Fig. 1E, F) - Sect. Phleoideae Meinsh.

    The meiotic chromosomes of C. neurocarpa observed vary, n = 51II, 53II 54II. Only one number is congruent from the previous reports from Japanese and Korean populations as n = 54II (Tanaka, 1937; Chung et al., 2018). Chromosome numbers of n = 51II and 53II are first counts for the species. C. neurocarpa grows mainly in wet places along ponds and riversides in China, Japan, Korea, and Far East Russia (Park et al., 2016). Although the species occurs widely in East Asia, by well-developed wings in perigynia, the species is distinguished from the other taxa in the section (Dai et al., 2010; Hoshino et al., 2011; Park et al., 2016). Section Phleoideae occurs in Asia and consists of about nine taxa, and the monophyly of the section is tested although taxon sampling is incomplete (Dai et al., 2010; Hoshino et al., 2011; Jiménez-Mejías et al., 2016). Among the nine taxa in the section, chromosome numbers of six taxa have been reported with variations in three taxa (Dai et al., 2010; Hoshino et al., 2011). Although the section is small only with nine taxa, variations in chromosome numbers and major morphological characters exhibit. The character variations make the section a good model group to test cytological, morphological, and geographic character evolution in Asian Carex group. In particular, analyzing chromosome number variations of Phleoideae in a phylogenetic framework will provide critical information to understand cytological evolution in Asian, bisexual spike (androgynous) Carex groups.

Fig. 1.

Photomicrographs of Carex meiotic metaphase chromosomes. A. Carex jaluensis (n = 28II, Chung 1129). B. C. jaluensis (n = 29II, Chung 1129). C. C. jaluensis (n = 30II, Chung 1134). D. C. japonica (n = 29II, Chung 1604). E. C. neurocarpa (n = 51II, Chung 5143). F. C. neurocarpa (n = 53II, Chung 5143). Scale bars = 5 μm.

All the species, except C. planiculmis, exhibit variations in chromosome numbers within individuals and/or taxa. The results of chromosome number diversity in Carex suggest that chromosome number variation (aneuploidy, agmatoploidy, and/or symploidy) might have played an important role in species richness in the genus. The investigations on chromosome characters of the species in a phylogenetic phylogenetic framework will hypothesize speciation mechanisms. To understand Carex species diversity, long-term and continuous efforts should be made to investigate chromosome information of Carex in spite of difficulty on conducting research with only living plant materials.

Acknowledgements

We thank Tomomi Masaki (Okayama University of Science) for suggestions on chromosome observations and two anonymous reviewers for critical comments. This study was supported in part by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2018R1A2B6008851).

Notes

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interests.

References

Chung K-S, Hipp AL, Roalson EH. 2012;Chromosome number evolves independently of genome size in a clade with nonlocalized centromeres (Carex: Cyperaceae). Evolution 66:2708–2722.
Chung K-S, Hoshino T, Masaki T, Im H-T. 2017;Cytological investigations on eight Carex species in Korea (Cyperaceae). Cytologia 82:329–334.
Chung K-S, Hoshino T, Masaki T, Im H-T, Ji S-J. 2018;Chromosome counts of six Korean Carex species (Cyperaceae). Cytologia 83:1–5.
Chung K-S, Hoshino T, Masaki T, Yang JC, Im H-T. 2016;Cytological studies on seven species of Korean Carex (Cyperaceae). Cytologia 81:143–147.
Chung K-S, Weber JA, Hipp AL. 2011;Dynamics of chromosome number and genome size variation in a cytogenetically variable sedge (Carex scoparia var. scoparia, Cyperaceae). American Journal of Botany 98:122–129.
Chung K-S, Yang JC, Lee Y-M. 2013;Chromosome numbers of Carex section Siderostictae from Korea populations (Cyperaceae). Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy 43:22–26.
Dai L, Liang S, Zhang S, Tang Y, Koyama T, Tucker GC. 2010. Carex Linneaus. In Flora of China: Acoraceae through Cyperaceae In : Zhengyi W, Raven PH, Deyuan H, eds. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. St. Louis, MO: p. 285–461.
Davies EW. 1956;Cytology, evolution and origin of the aneuploid series in the genus Carex . Hereditas 42:349–365.
Egorova TV. 1999. The Sedges (Carex L.) of Russia and Adjacent States St. Petersburg State Chemical–Pharmaceutical Academy, St. Petersburg and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. St. Louis, MO: p. 772.
Escudero M, Hipp AL, Waterway MJ, Valente LM. 2012;Diversification rates and chromosome evolution in the most diverse angiosperm genus of the temperate zone (Carex, Cyperaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 63:650–655.
Global Carex Group. 2015;Making Carex monophyletic (Cyperaceae, tribe Careiceae): a new broader circumscription. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 179:1–42.
Hipp AL. 2007;Nonuniform processes of chromosome evolution in sedges (Carex: Cyperaceae). Evolution 61:2175–2194.
Hipp AL, Escudero M, Chung K-S. 2013. Holocentric chromosomes. Brenner’s Encyclopedia of Genetics 2nd edth ed. 3In : Maloy S, Hughes K, eds. Elsevier. New York: p. 499–501.
Hipp AL, Rothrock PE, Roalson EH. 2009;The evolution of chromosome arrangements in Carex (Cyperaceae). The Botanical Review 75:96–109.
Hipp AL, Rothrock PE, Whitkus R, Weber JA. 2010;Chromosomes tell half of the story: the correlation between karyotype rearrangements and genetic diversity in sedges, a group with holocentric chromosomes. Molecular Ecology 19:3124–3138.
Hoshino T. 1981;Karyomorphological and cytogenetical studies on aneuploidy in Carex . Journal of Science of the Hiroshima University, Division 2, Series B 17:155–238.
Hoshino T, Masaki T, Nishimoto M. 2011. Illustrated Sedges of Japan Heibonsha Ltd., Publishers. Tokyo: p. 778.
Im H-T, Kim K-S, Oh B-U. 2008; Carex miyabei Franchet. (Cyperaceae) and its distribution in Korea. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy 38:539–545. (in Korean).
Jiménez-Mejías P, Hahn M, Lueders K, Starr JR, Brown BH, Chouinard BN, Chung K-S, Escudero M, Ford BA, Ford KA, Gebauer S, Gehrke B, Hoffmann MH, Jin X-F, Jung J, Kim S, Luceño M, Maguilla E, Martín-Bravo S, Míguez M, Molina A, Naczi RFC, Pender JE, Reznicek AA, Villaverde T, Waterway MJ, Wilson KL, Yang J-C, Zhang S, Hipp AL, Roalson EH. 2016;Megaphylogenetic specimen-level approaches to the Carex (Cyperaceae) phylogeny using ITS, ETS, and mat K sequences: implications for classification. Systematic Botany 41:500–518.
Kim K-J, Kim Y-D, Kim J-H, Park S-J, Park C-W, Sun B-Y, Yoo K-O, Choi B-H, Kim ST. 2008;Phylogenetic classification of Korean vascular flora according to the recent APG classification system. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy 38:197–222.
Kim S-Y. 2006. Establishment of chromosome D/B and molecular cytogenetic analysis of Korean native plants. Ph.D. Thesis. Chungnam National University; 169.
Lee J, Kim SY. 2008. Chromosomes of Endemic Plants in Korea 2008 Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology. Daejeon: p. 75.
Luceño M, Guerra M. 1996;Numerical variations in species exhibiting holocentric chromosomes: a nomenclatural proposal. Caryologia 49:301–309.
Nishikawa K, Furuta Y, Ishitobi K. 1984;Chromosomal evolution in genus Carex as viewed from nuclear DNA content, with special reference to its aneuploidy. Japanese Journal of Genetics 59:465–472.
Park S-H, Lee Y-M, Kim H-J, Yang J-C, Jang C-S, Lee K-H, Lee J-S, Han J-S, Kim H-J, Jeong K-S, Son D-C, Lee D-H, Joo M-J, Sun E-M, Shin C-H, Choi K, Oh S-H, Chang KS, Jung S-Y, Ji S-J. 2016. Illustrated Cyperaceae of Korea Munyoungsa. Seoul: p. 3. p. 102. p. 220. p. 284. p. 282. p. 334.
Reznicek AA. 1990;Evolution in sedges (Carex, Cyperaceae). Canadian Journal of Botany 68:1409–1432.
Roalson EH. 2008;A synopsis of chromosome number variation in the Cyperaceae. Botanical Review 74:209–393.
Rothrock PE, Reznicek AA. 1996;Documented chromosome numbers 1996:1. Chromosome numbers in Carex section Ovales (Cyperaceae) from Eastern North America. Sida 17:251–258.
Rothrock PE, Reznicek AA, Hipp AL. 2009;Taxonomic study of the Carex tenera group (Cyperaceae). Systematic Botany 34:297–311.
Tanaka N. 1937;Chromosome studies in Cyperaceae I. Cytologia (2):814–821.
Tanaka N. 1948;The problem of aneuploidy (Chromosome studies in Cyperaceae, with special reference to the problem of aneuploidy). Biological Contribution in Japan 4:1–327. (in Japanese).
Tanaka N. 1949;Chromosome studies in the genus Carex, with special reference to aneuploidy and polyploidy. Cytologia 15:15–29.
Yano O, Ikeda H, Jin X-F, Hoshino T. 2014;Phylogeny and chromosomal variation in East Asian Carex, Siderostictae group (Cyperaceae), based on DNA sequences and cytological data. Journal of Plant Research 127:99–107.
Yano O, Ito K, Katsuyama T, Ikeda H, Hoshino T. 2010;Cytological study of Carex omurae and C. phaeodon (Cyperaceae). Journal of Japanese. Botany 85:370–373.

Article information Continued

Fig. 1.

Photomicrographs of Carex meiotic metaphase chromosomes. A. Carex jaluensis (n = 28II, Chung 1129). B. C. jaluensis (n = 29II, Chung 1129). C. C. jaluensis (n = 30II, Chung 1134). D. C. japonica (n = 29II, Chung 1604). E. C. neurocarpa (n = 51II, Chung 5143). F. C. neurocarpa (n = 53II, Chung 5143). Scale bars = 5 μm.

Table 1.

Species, locality, voucher specimens, and chromosome numbers of Carex studied.

Taxon (locality, voucher specimen) Chromosome numbers counted (n) Previous counts (2n)
Carex jaluensis Kom.
  Hanseoksan Mt., Deokjeok-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea (Chung 1129, 8 Jun 2018, KH) n = 27II, 28II, 29II, 30II None
  Hanseoksan Mt., Deokjeok-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea (Chung 1134, 8 Jun 2018, KH) n = 28II, 29II, 30II
C. japonica Thunb. 62 (Hoshino et al., 2011)
  Hanseoksan Mt., Deokjeok-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea (Chung 1604, 8 Jun 2018, KH) n = 28II, 29II
C. planiculmis Kom. 62 (Hoshino et al., 2011)
  Hanseoksan Mt., Deokjeok-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea (Chung 1160, 8 Jun 2018, KH) n = 30II
C. miyabei Franch. 90 (Tanaka, 1948)
  Hanseoksan Mt., Deokjeok-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea (Chung 1606, 8 Jun 2018, KH) n = 33II, 36II 84 (Chung et al., 2018)
C. neurocarpa Maxim.
  Dongjincheon, Dongbu-ri Goesan-eup Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea (Chung 5143, 11 Jul 2018, KH) n = 51II, 53II 108 (Tanaka, 1937)
108 (Chung et al., 2016)
  Dongjincheon, Dongbu-ri Goesan-eup Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea (Chung 5145, 11 Jul 2018, KH) n = 53II, 54II