Cytotaxonomy of some species of Amorphophallus sect. Rhaphiophallus (Schott) Engl. (Araceae) of the Indian Subcontinent

Karyotypes of six species of Amorphophallus sect. Rhaphiophallus were studied and compared. Although all the species have a chromosome number x=13, they are morphologically very distinct. They can be further differentiated by quantitative parameters of their karyotypes. A triploid number of 2n=3x=39 for Amorphophallus longiconnectivus and A. margaritifer, and 2n2x=26, a diploid number for Amorphophallus bhandarensis is reported for the first time. Previously published data on chromosome numbers of A. hohenackeri, A. konkanensis and A. sylvaticus are confirmed. These data add to the information about karyosystematics of this section and could facilitate elucidating the inter-specific relationships.