Comparative Analysis of Karyotypes from the Strezelecki Ranges Race of the Complex Eucalyptus globulus Labill. ssp. globulus (Myrtaceae) and a Population in Central-Southern Chile

This study presents information on karyotypes of the Strezelecki Ranges race, referred to in previous studies as Jeerelangs (Victoria, Australia), of the complex Eucalyptus globulus. ssp globulus and another from Central- Southern Chile (Contulmo). The chromosomes counted (2n = 22) are fairly small-sized and found within the size ranges reported by other authors. The chromosome measurements, done with the Micromeasure program, indicate that the Strezelecki Ranges lineage has a relatively large genome (Total Chromosome Length = 8.94%) as compared to measurements of local lineages (Chile). This could be explained by genetic recombinations resulting from the successive hybridizations reported for this race. The data obtained for both lineages reveal a set of markedly metacentric chromosomes with a centromeric index between 0.44 and 0.46.