Genomic Classification in Guizotia(Asteraceae)

Guizotia Cass. is a small genus comprising six species of family Asteraceae and one of the species G. abyssinica is an important oil-seed cultivated in India and east Africa. Baagoe (1974) revised this genus based upon the morphological similarities and she proposed that G. ab-yssinica, G. scabra and G. schimperi are closely related species. Further, she merged G. schimperi under the subspecies ranks as G. scabra. Cytological studies were undertaken to ascertain the taxonomic position of these species and which reveals that karyotype of G. abyssinica and G. schimperi (2n=30) were symmetrical with median chromosomes, whereas, G. scabra (2n=30) showed asymmetrical karyotype with sumbedian and subterminal chromosomes. Further, karyotype of G. schimperi and G. abyssinica were similar and karyomorpholo-gically they are identical. Genome analyses work of Murthy et al. (1993) showed genomes of G. abyssinica and G. schimperi are similar and G. schimperi is thought to be the progenitor of domesticated G. abyssinica. Thus, G. schimperi cannot be considered as subspecies of G. scabra as proposed by Baagoe (1974). We considered that G. schimperi be merged into the subspecies of G. abyssinica.