| Abstract Detail
Biogeography Eisenman, Sasha [1]. Karyogeography of wild tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.). Artemisia dracunculus L. (wild or Russian tarragon), is an herbaceous perennial with a widespread distribution that spans western North America, temperate Asia, Central Asia, and some parts of Europe. This species has a long history of use in traditional medicine and it is currently being investigated for use in the treatment of diabetes and diabetic related illnesses. Previous studies have shown that A. dracunculus, like the majority of Artemisia species, has a base chromosome number of x = 9, and that diploid (2n = 2x = 18) and polyploid (2n = 3x = 27), (2n = 4x = 36), (2n = 6x = 54), (2n = 10x = 90) individuals exist. After conducting a thorough literature review, it became apparent that the majority of these studies were conducted using cultivated and wild material from populations in Europe and Asia. Many fewer studies of ploidy level have been conducted using material from North American populations, and each used only one or a few samples. These studies have only reported diploid chromosome levels. Because of the limited sampling of North American plant material, and the abundance of polyploidy in European and Asian populations, an analysis was conducted to assess the ploidy level of plant material collected from populations throughout the western United States. Meiotic chromosome counts were conducted using anthers isolated from immature flower buds. All individuals sampled were found to be diploid. A global map with the distribution of all A. dracunculus cytotype records is presented. The new records from the U.S. add support to the idea that only diploid populations are found in North America. Log in to add this item to your schedule
1 - Rutgers University, Department Plant Biology & Pathology, 237 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, USA
Keywords: tarragon Artemisia dracunculus chromosomes polyploidy karyogeography.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics Session: P1 Location: Event Tent/Cliff Lodge Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009 Time: 5:30 PM Number: P1BG011 Abstract ID:735 |