Page 3 - Geraci -Schicchi - 2002

Flora Mediterranea 12 - 2002 179

For each locality at least 15 bulbs were collected and were cultivated in pots in thc
Botanica l Garden of the University of Palenno.
For the karyological analysis. root tips were pretreated with 0.3% colchicine for 3 hours.
and flxed in a mixturc 3: l absolute alcohol - glacial acetic aci d for a t l cast onc hour and
finally stained by SchifT's rcagent after hydrolysis with H Cl l for seven minutcs at 60°C
(Oarlington & La Cour 1960).
At least ten metaphase plates for each sample were counted.

Results
The chromosomc numbcr and thc rclevant level ofploidy ofthe studied populations are
given in Table 2.
Results show that clcvcn populations are diploid 2n = 14. In particular diploids wcrc found
in most of thc localitics in north-westem Sicily (near Trapani. mountains around Palermo,
and Madonic mountains). A population located in the Natura! Rescrve of Zingaro (Trapani
Province) prcscntcd 2n - 42 "" 6x. Bcsides, in the diploid populations in the Favignana islet
(Egadi lsland - Trapani Province) a B- chromosome (2n = 14 + l B) has bccn found.
Exaploid level has bcen obscrvcd in plants from the southem part of thc Sicily (ncar
Siracusa). In plants collected in the loca1ity Portella Scalazza ncar Marianopoli
(Caltanissetta. C-Sicily) both diploids and tetraploids (2n = 28) have bccn found occurring
in the same population (Fig. 2. 3).

Table 2. Chromosomc numbcr and ploidy leve) ofthe populations in,estigated.
ldcntificatlon Locality Cbromosome oumber (1n) Ploid~ le,•el
Fontannrossa (TP) 14 2oc
2 Valdcncc (TP) 14 2oc
3 Momc Cofano (TP) 14 2'
4 San Vito Lo Capo (TP) 14 2x
s Scopello (TP) 14 2x
(l Monte Gullo (PA) 14 2x
7 Moutc Cntulfuno (PA) 14 2x
K Caltavuturo (PA) 14 2x
9 Pcrrolio Sottana (PA) 14 2x
IO Gcraca Saculo (PA) 14 2x
Il Favignana (TP) 14 + l 2x + l
12 Marianopoli (CL) 14. 28 2x.4x
13 Zmgaro (TP) 42 6x
14 Uelvedere (SR) 42 6x
15 lloridu.l (SR) 42 6x