Chromosomes and the classification of the Commelinaceae

This account of chromosome variation in the Commelinaceae is based both on the authors' personal experience with a very large living collection of the family at Kew, and on the numerous reports of earlier workers. There can be few families showing such a wide range of chromosome numbers, karyotype morphology and meiotic behaviour, the description of which may be of interest to cytologists, evolutionists and taxonomists alike. In this present survey the information is presented within the framework of a tentative classification of genera proposed by Brenan, and comments are made throughout on the relevance of cytology to his taxonomic treatment of the family. It is hoped that this account will foster further interest in the Commelinaceae, and in particular, encourage more thorough appraisal of intraspecific chromosome variation and interspecific homologies.