Cytology and Systematics of the Moraea fugax Complex (Iridaceae)

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Abstract
The Moraea fugax complex, widespread in the winter rainfall area of southern Africa, is treated here as comprising three species, M. gracilenta and the new M. macrocarpa, both of restricted distribution and morphologically and cytologically uniform, and the very widespread and variable M. fugax. The latter comprises two subspecies: larger flowered populations of robust plants with large capsules and one or two channeled leaves are referred to subsp. fugax while small-flowered forms with small capsules and usually two filiform leaves are referred to subsp. filicaulis. Cytologically M. fugax is remarkably variable. Basic chromosome number in Moraea and in the complex is x = 10, and n = 10 is the only number known for M. gracilenta and M. macrocarpa, Moraea fugax subsp. fugax has a base number of x = 10 but exhibits an extensive aneuploid series with populations or races having n = 9, 8, 7, 6 and 5. Subspecies filicaulis has haploid numbers of n = 9, 6 and 5, the former perhaps basic for this taxon. Some correlation of morphological and karyotypic variation suggests that aneuploid decrease occurred in several morphological lines as geographical races differentiated from the ancestral stock during alternating dry and wet phases of the Quarternary. A revised classification of the complex is presented in the second half of the paper, following a detailed description of the karyological and morphological variation. The karyology of M. fugax is not completely known, but the major features are probably reflected in the data presented here.

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