Variabilities in karyotype and molecular ISSR in Gonospermum fruticosum (C. Smith ex Link) Less., Argyranthemum coronopifolium (Willd.) Humphries and two strains of A. foeniculaceum (Willd.) Webb ex Schultz-Bip. (Asteraceae the tribe Anthemideae) collected in the Canary Islands

Gonospermum fruticosum (C. Smith ex Link) Less, Argyranthemum coronopifolium (Willd.) Humphries and two strains of A. foeniculaceum (Willd.) Webb ex Schultz-Bipl all placed in the family Asteraceae, the tribe Anthemideae, were collected in Tenerife, the Canary Islands, Spanish Territory, Africa. They were analyzed in order to clarify their relationships and variabilities by karyotypes and molecular ISSR (inter simple sequence repeat). Gonospermum fruticosum and Argyranthemum coronopifolium studied showed the common karyotype different from that of two strains of A. foeniculaceum. Among the 54 ISSR bands obtained in the four species studied 46 were polymorphic, and 22 were species-specific. Gonospermum and Argyranthemum showed quite different band patterns from each other. Two strains of A. foeniculaceum showed different, large polymorphic patterns. Thus, the ISSR must be useful tool to isolate and evaluate intergeneric, interspecific, down to intraspecific genic differences, furthermore, introgressive hybridization within the members of the tribe Anthemideae, the Asteraceae.