VARIATION OF GENOME SIZE AND ORGANIZATION WITHIN HEXAPLOID FESTUCA-ARUNDINACEA

Cytophotometric, karyological, and biochemical analyses were carried out in the meristems of seedlings obtained from seeds collected from 35 natural populations of hexaploid Festuca arundinacea in Italy. Highly significant differences between populations were observed in the amount of nuclear DNA (up to 32.3%). These changes are linked to variations in the amount of heterochromatin and in the frequency of repeated DNA sequences, and particularly of a fraction of them. Differences between populations in the arm ratios and total length of the chromosomes were also observed. The genome sizes of the populations are correlated positively with the mean temperature during the year and with that of the coldest month at the stations, and correlate negatively with their latitudes. The intraspecific genome changes observed are discussed in relation to other pertinent data to be found in the literature and in relation to their possible role in environmental adaptation.