Genome sizes of some Calligonum species in Xinjiang of China

Genome sizes of some Calligonum species in Xinjiang of China

Nuclear DNA content (2C) of 12 species, covering four sections of Calligonum genus in Xinjiang of China was estimated using flow cytometry. It was found that 2C nuclear DNA amounts of the species investigated range from 0.85 pg (C. cancellatum) to 3.02 pg (C. junceum), a 3.55-fold difference. This implies that the largest genome contains roughly 2.09×109 more base pairs than the smallest genome. There was no correlation between genome size (Nuclear DNA content (2C)) and the ploidy level of this genus but genome size per basic chromosome set decreases with polyploidy level. Genome size together with previous data using morphological traits will provide additional information useful for taxonomic decision-making of this genus.