Cytotaxonomic studies in the genus Urginea Stein in West Africa. IV. Population differentiation and karyotype variation in Urginea indica (Roxb.) Kunth

Qualitative and quantitative studies of karyotypes of over 250 individual plants of the variable species Urginea indica (Roxb.) Kunth were carried out. The plants were sampled from 23 collection sites representing seven distinguishable phenotypes. Root tips were used for mitotic preparations. Ten karyotypes were recognized, four of which represented the first phenotype while the remaining six represented each of the other phenotypes. The species is aggressive in its exploitation of various ecological niches. Small, homogeneous, genetically distinct populations have evolved a response to the demands of each ecological niche and a device to isolate the individual gene pools.