Carex (Cyperaceae) meiotic chromosome numbers (six taxa) from Korean populations

Carex L. is one of the most diverse genera worldwide (more than 2,000 species) and in the Korean flora (about 180 taxa). The genus exhibits great variation in chromosome number, ranging from n = 6 to n = 132. This variation has been attributed to a holocentric chromosome structure and to taxonomic and systematic information in the genus. To understand the diversity in Korean Carex, cytological investigations were conducted. In this paper, the meiotic chromosome numbers of six Carex species observed, C. erythrobasis (n = 13II), C. tegulata (n = 27II), C. breviculmis (n = 33II), C. brevispicula (n = 33II), C. polyschoena (n = 38II), and C. sabynensis (n = 27II), are reported. This includes the first reports for C. erythrobasis and C. tegulata and a new number for C. brevispicula, a Korean endemic. The significance of each chromosome number is discussed in terms of traditional taxonomic as well as recently proposed phylogenetic classifications.