The Chromosomes of Orchids VI Bulbophyllum

Author(s): K. Y. Lim and K. Jones

Source: Kew Bulletin, Vol. 37, No. 2 (1982), pp. 217-219
Published by: Springer on behalf of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4109963
Accessed: 01-05-2016 15:12 UTC

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 The chromosomes of Orchids VI

Bulbophyllum
K. Y. LIM* & K. JONES+

Summary. The chromosome numbers of 45 named species of Bulbophyllum are given; also those of
five unnamed species. All were diploid with 2n = 38 chromosomes, except for a triploid, B. patens
(2n = 57), and a pentaploid, B. vagans (2n = 95).

The last report from the Jodrell Laboratory of chromosome numbers of

Bulbophyllum species growing in the Kew collection was that of Daker who
counted 24 species of this genus and 14 of Cirrhopetalum (Daker 1970). In this
paper the latter genus will be taken as congeneric with Bulbophyllum following
the opinion of Seidenfaden (1973).
Since the publication of Daker's paper there have been several others
which have included counts of Bulbophyllum species (Arends et al. 1980; Bis-
was 1980; Malla et al. 1977; Mehra & Kashyap 1978, 1979; Mehra & Pandita
1978; Mehra & Sehgal 1975, 1980; ar-Rushdi 1971; Vij et al. 1976). The
present paper gives the chromosome number of a total of 54 plants in the
Kew collection including 45 named species of which 32 are counted for the
first time.

MATERIALS & METHODS

All the plants are growing in the Kew collection and have been named by
Dr P. Cribb in the Orchid Herbarium where voucher specimens are retained.
Chromosome counts have been made from tips of aerial roots employing
the squash method described earlier (ones & Daker 1968). Permanent slides
are retained in the collection of the cytogenetics section of the Jodrell
Laboratory.

RESULTS

The chromosome counts are given in Table 1, with first reports identified
with an asterisk. As in Daker's study the great majority of species are diploid
with 2n = 38. The only deviation from this was a single triploid (2n = 57) in
B. patens (Pl. 10G) and a pentaploid (2n = 95) in B. vagans (Pl. 10H). Once
again no 2n = 40 plants were discovered although this number has been
reported for several species. Apart from those referred to in Daker's paper,
these include B. bisetum (Biswas 1980), B. khasyanum (Mehra & Sehgal 1980),
B. rau (Mehra & Kashyap 1979) and B. barbigerum and B. velutinum (Arends et
al. 1980). Only B. barbigerum has been included in the present study and this
is a different individual from that counted by Daker, but both were 2n = 38.
B. oreonastes given as 2n = 80 we also find to be 2n = 38.

Accepted for publication October 1981

*Thames Polytechnic, Wellington Street, London SE18 6PF
+Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
217

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 218 KEW BULLETIN VOL. 37(2)
TABLE 1. Chromosome numbers of Bulbophyllum species

Species Origin Kew Accession No. 2n

andersonii Kurz. Sikkim 000-73-13568 38*

aurantiacum F. Muell. Australia 189-78-01933 38
baileyi F. Muell. Australia 189-78-01949 38*
barbigerum Lindl. Liberia 371-74-02919 38
biantennatum Schltr. Papua New Guinea 511-77-05319 38*
calamarium Lindl. Ivory Coast 278-76-02485 38
calamarium Lindl. Ivory Coast 278-76-02486 38
congolanum Schltr. Ivory Coast 278-76-02483 38
cocoinum Batem. Ghana 237-45-23702 38
daloaense Cribb & Perez-Vera
(Plate 10A) Ivory Coast 278-76-02490 38*
distans Lindl. (Plate 10E) Nigeria 749-61-74903 38
distans Lindl. Uganda 052-77-00294 38
ebulbum King & Pantling 187-81-02474 38*
elassonotum Summerh. 187-81-02477 38*
encephalodes Summerh. Malaxwi 366-80-03821 38*
gibbosum Lindl. Java 364-61-36401 38*
grandiflorum Bl. Solomon Is. 337-75-03232 38*
imbricatum Lindl. Ivory Coast 796-58-79003 38
intertextum Lindl. Ivory Coast 278-76-02489 38
ipanemense Hoehne Brazil 166-77-01337 38*
longiflorum Thouars New Hebrides 321-74-02700 38*
lepidum (Bl.) J. J. Sm. Java 000-73-13571 38*
macranthum Lindl. Burma 225-99-22501 38*
mahonii Rolfe (Plate 10F) Malawi 366-80-03827 38*
malawiense B. Morris Malawi 406-80-04270 38*
maximum (Lindl.) Rchb.f. Trop. Africa 033-75-00016 38
medusae (Lindl.) Rchb.f. Malaya 446-26-44601 38*
micholitzii Rolfe Papua New Guinea 068-65-06801 38
micholitzii Rolfe Papua New Guinea 315-55-31507 38
miniatum Hort. ex F. W. Moore W Trop. Africa 000-69-18098 38*
nudiscapum Rolfe 590-65-59001 38*
oreonastesKraenzl.
orthoglossum Rchb.f.
NewMala'wi 366-80-03826
Guinea & Malaya 000-73-1355838*
38*
oxypterum (Lindl.) Rchb.f. Tanzania 097-76-00654 38*
patens King Malaya 705-63-70535 57*
phaeopogon Schltr. W Trop. Africa 379-52-37902 38
phalaenopsis J. J. Sm. Java 329-75-03138 ca.38*
picturatum 269-80-02486 38*
pulchrum (N.E. Br.) J. J. Sm. 544-69-04678 38*
purpureorhachis (De Wild.) Schltr.
(Plate 10D) W Trop. Africa 324-36-32401 38*
saltatorium Lindl. (Plate 10B) Ivory Coast 112-72-01123 38
sandersonii (Oliv.) Rchb.f. Tanzania 105-79-01032 38
sandersonii (Oliv.) Rchb.f. Uganda 052-77-0314 38
schinzianum Kraenzl. Liberia 071-74-02920 38*
sparsifolium Schltr. Papua New Guinea 270-75-02466 38*
trachyanthum Kraenzl. Papua New Guinea 270-78-02922 38*
unifoliatum De Wild Malawi 366-80-03823 38*
vagans Ames & Rolfe Phillipines 145-76-01039 95*
zenkeranum Kraenzl. Uganda 052-77-00239 38*
sp. Grande Comore 270-73-02502 38
sp. Tanzania 245-79-02307 38
sp. (Plate 10C) Malawi 077-71-00515 38
sp. Malaysia 053-78-00544 38
sp. Papua New Guinea 511-77-05323 38

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ORCHID CHROMOSOMES: BULBOPHYLLUM 219

Karyotype morphology shows no major variation between species (Plate

10A-F). They seem in general to accord with Daker's conclusion that
karyotypes consist of submedian to sub-terminal chromosomes showing a
graduation in size--the smallest being about half the size of the largest.
Daker also noted that there was no detectable difference between the
karyotypes of Bulbophyllum and Cirrhopetalum, one-factor which supports the
unification of these genera.

REFERENCES

Arends, J. C., W. J. van der Berg & F. M. van der Laan (1980). Notes on
African Orchids. Misc. Paper 19 Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen: 23-
36.
Biswas, B. K. (1980). in IOPB Chromosome Number Report LXVI. Taxon
29: 163-169.
Daker,. M. G. (1970). The Chromosomes of Orchids IV. Bulbophyllinae
Schltr. Kew Bull. 24: 179-184.
Jones, K. & M. G. Daker (1968). The Chromosomes of Orchids III.
Catasetineae Schltr. Kew Bull. 22: 421-427.
Malla, S. B., S. Bhattarai, M. Gorkhali & H. Sanju (1977). in IOPB
Chromosome Number Report LVII. Taxon 26: 443-452.
Mehra, P. N. & S. K. Kashyap (1978). in IOPB Chromosome Number
Report LX. Taxon 27: 223-231.
& - (1979). in IOPB Chromosome Number Report LXIV. Taxon
28: 391-408.
1 & J. K. Pandita (1978). in IOPB Chromosome Number Report LXI.
Taxon 27: 315-392.
& R. N. Sehgal (1975). in IOPB Chromosome Number Report XLIX.
Taxon 24: 501-516.
- & - (1980). in IOPB Chromosome Number Report LXVII. Taxon
29: 347-367.
ar-Rushdi, A. H. (1971). Chromosome number of some West African
orchids. Cytologia 36: 487-492.
Seidenfaden, G. (1973). Notes on Cirrhopetalum. Dansk. Botanisk Arkiv 29:
9-16.
Vij, S. P., G. C. Gupta & A. K. Garg (1976). in IOPB Chromosome Number
Report LIV. Taxon 25: 631-649.

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 CHROMOSOMES OF AMARYLLIDACEAE] [KEW BULLETIN, VOL. 37(2)

PLATE 9

::::::?:~~:::ANE W.:
AIL ii. iii.. i

:s :-iili--ciii'li~~MINNO W .
ION*-

i~i:40P
4r
Ar

'i49
EL AM~ P ii::- - -i:_iiiiii_-iiii~~:..--- -i_:~~i: .. . : ...._ i--~~ii:--~-i:
.... -'- -OF"'~

*POW i:ii:-_

lotii
-:::~:::::j--?~i:---:------_ Aa w

Somatic chromosomes of Hippeastrum and Phycella species. A Hippeastrum psittacinum, 2n = 22. B

H. blumenavia, 2n = 20. C H. reginae, 2n = 44. D Phycella sp., 2n = 18. E-F Hippeastrumforgetii.
Two cells, each with 2n = 22 + 1 B chromosome (arrowed). Scale = 10 gm.

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ORCHID CHROMOSOMES: BULBOPHYLLUM] [KEw BULLETIN, VOL. 37(2)

PLATE 10

I t -
pI .. * 7.....l~ --

A'iiii- B -i-~iiiiiiii .. C: ::~:-:: :

~:ii-i:9l-i~~iiiiiiiii-~4~, ?
,# ,, ~ :~-~.~;;i ~Y:
*.9**
R w #-i__iiiiiii-,: iii~_ 4~~.~~:::~~:i-'.
*4 4"

G - -- H ....i~iii- -

The mitotic chromosomes of Bulbophyllum. Scale = 10 gtm. A B. daloaense, 2n = 38; B B.

saltatorium, 2n = 38; C B. sp., 2n = 38; D B. purpureorachis, 2n = 38; E B. distans 2n = 38; F B.
mahonii, 2n = 38; G B. patens, 2n = 57; H B. vagans, 2n = 95.

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