Chromosome Number Variation and Polyploidy in the Genus Echinocereus (Cactaceae)

Analyses of meiotic and mitotic chromosomes were undertaken in 16 taxa of Echinocereus belonging to 12 species and all seven taxonomic sections (sensu Taylor). Chromosome numbers are reported for the first time for eight taxa, and previously published chromosome counts are confirmed for the remaining eight. Both diploid and polyploid counts were obtained. Eleven (69%) of the taxa surveyed were diploid (2n = 22); the five varieties of E. engelmannii were polyploid (2n = 44). Overall, chromosome counts are available for 23 of the 48 proposed species (sensu Taylor). Of these, 19 (82%) are diploid, and four (18%) are polyploid. Polyploid cytotypes are most common in the primitive sections, e.g., sections Erecti and Triglochidiatus, which suggests that polyploidy is probably a derived condition in Echinocereus. Polyploid taxa range from medium to high latitudes and elevations relative to the overall distribution of the genus. Polyploidy, hybridization, and cryptic chromosomal rearrangements are thought to be the major causes of the speciation events of the genus.