Karyomorphological and genome size variation in Iranian endemic populations of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.)

Coriandrum sativum L. is an important member of the Apiaceae family. It’s a heliophytic plant and native to the Mediterranean regions and southwestern Asia. This study aimed to investigate variations and clustering of 14 Iranian endemic populations of coriander based on karyomorphological and genome size features. Results showed that all populations were diploid (2n=2x=22), having the mean values for chromosome length (CL) and total chromosome volume (TCV) of 2.56 µm and 2.53 µm3, respectively. Three chromosome types (“m”, “sm”, and “st”) formed nine different karyotype formulas: “sm” appeared to be the major chromosome type in most karyotypes. Karyotypes of all populations were ordered in the 3A and 4A classes of Stebbins classification. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed significant intraspecific variation in chromosomal parameters, but not in monoploid genome size (2Cx DNA). The overall mean genome size was 4.15 pg, ranging from 4.03 to 4.27 pg. Correlation between the amount of 2Cx DNA with environmental conditions showed that the amount of 2Cx DNA had a positive and significant correlation only with the average annual temperature (r=0.67**). The obtained results from this study may provide relevant information for coriander breeding studies.