Paternity study of an interspecific natural hybrid of the genus Eucalyptus L'Hér (Myrtaceae) based on cytogenetic data

Abstract

Three species of the genus Eucalyptus (E. dunni, E. grandis, E. saligna) and interspecific hybrid were studied cytogenetically. The Eucalyptus species and the hybrid showed a symmetrical karyotype with 2n=22 chromosomes, with chromosome length ranging from 0.67 to 1.39 μm. Karyotypic analysis indicated a homogenous morphology and chromosome number for the species and the hybrid studied here. Based on the karyotype asymmetry data, together with the chromosome morphology results, the hybrid presented close similarity to E. saligna, suggesting that the latter is one of the parental species involved in the production of the hybrid.