Karyotype analysis of six Achillea L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) taxa from Turkey

The karyotypes of six Achillea taxa (Achillea falcata L., A. millefolium L. subsp. millefolium, A. setacea Waldst. & Kit., A. nobilis L. subsp. neilreichii (A. Kern.) Velen., A. biebersteinii Afan. and A. cappadocica Hausskn. & Bornm.) from different phytogeographical regions of Turkey were performed. The taxa revealed chromosome counts of 2n = 2x = 18, 4x = 36 and 7-8x = 67. Karyotype analysis indicated that chromosomes of Achillea taxa have predominantly median and submedian centromered. Several systematic and evolutionary aspects of these taxa are discussed in the light of the cytogenetic data.