Resumen de Analyses of chromosome number, nuclear DNA content and RAPD profile in three morphotypes of Pandanus fascicularis Lam.

Kamal K. Panda, Rabindra K. Panigrahy, Anath B. Das, Brahma B. Panda

• Pandanus fascicularis Lam. is a dominant species in the coastal vegetation of India. Owing to the aromatic principle hydro-distilled from the male inflorescences for the perfume industry, the plant is a major bioresource of Ganjam coast, Orissa. Variations in plant morphology, somatic chromosome complements, 4C nuclear DNA content, RAPD and phytochemical profiles were analysed in three morphotypes: wild spinous, spineless and ketaki types. All had a chromosome number of 2n = 60. Both intra- and inter-morphotype chromosomal mosaicism (2n = 56 to 64) was evident. There were clear differences in the 4C-DNA content in the three morphotypes, namely 6.0 ± 1.71 pg (= 5 793.55 Mbp) in spinous, 7.41 ± 2.0 pg (= 7 156.74 Mbp) in spineless and 10.24 ± 2.6 pg (= 9 883.12 Mbp) in ketaki types. The 4C-DNA content of the ketaki type was significantly higher (p =0.05) than that of spinous as well as spineless types. Somatic metaphase chromosome numbers agreed with the basic chromosome number, x = 30. Phytochemical profiling indicated a clear distinction between the spinous and ketaki types. RAPD analysis placed the three morphotypes in two clusters: spinous and spineless types vs. ketaki. Taxonomically, the biosystematics and molecular phylogeny imply that the ketaki morphotype deserves the status of a subspecies or variety, if not a species, in the genus Pandanus, perhaps warranting a nomenclatural revision.