The chromosomes number and karyotypes for an important medicinal plant , Erigeron breviscapus ( Vant. ) Hand. -Mazz. , in wild populations from Yunnan were reported in this paper. Two kind of ploidy levels were observed within two populations of the species. (1) Cangshan population: the karyotype formula of the diploid type is 2n = 2x = 18 = 4m+ 10sm+ 4st and 2n = 3x = 27 = 6m + 12sm+ 9st for triploid, (2 ) Yangjiaping population: the karyotype formulaof the diploid type is 2n = 2x= 18 = 6m + 10sm+ 2st and 2n = 3x= 27 = 3m+15sm+9st for triploid. The triploid type of E. breviscapus was discovered for the first time. Morphological characteristics of the triploid individuals suggest that E. breviscapus has a potential for fostering a better breed .
Twenty-six species in the genus Begonia were recorded for different purposes as medicine, food, beverage and pig feed in China ( ornamental uses excluded ). Among these twenty-six species recorded for different uses, twenty-four species are used as medicine, eight species are used as food (vegetable ) or beverage, and five species are used as pig feed. Three species are commonly used for making beverage in the areas of their natural distribution. Nine species have multiple uses, either for medicine, for food, beverage or pig feed. Our study also indicated that some species are becoming rare and endangered owning to over collection and other factors.
The Chloroplast DNA trnL- trnF region sequences from a natural hybrid species Meconopsis× cookei and its parents M. punicea and M. quintuplinervia were obtained by using direct sequencing method. The sequence length of trnL- trnF region is 960 bp for M. × cookei, 961 bp for M. punicea, and 957 bp for M. quintuplinervia. The sequences were aligned by the software Clustal X, and then the bases per locus were compared by using the software with manual method. The aligned sequence length is 964 bp, of which trnL intron is 512 bp, the 3′exon of trnL is 50 bp, trnL- trnF intergenic spacer ( IGS) is 361 bp, and the 5′end segment of trnF is 41 bp. Total 25 variable loci were detected from the aligned sequence, of which 21 (84% ) sites are same between M. × cookei and M. punicea, and only one (4%) is same between M. × cookei and M. quintuplinervia , the remaining three loci (12% ) are different among M. × cookei, M. punicea, and M. quintuplinervia. The results show that the cpDNA trnL- trnF region of the natural hybrid species M. ×cookei was inherited from its parent M. punicea. Therefore, according to the plastid inheritance law, our molecular evidences indicate that M. punicea is the mother of hybrid species M. × cookei and M. quintuplinervia is its father.
