The chromosome numbers of C. sintenisii, C. boluënse, C. baytopae, C. poluninii, and C. ellenbergii are newly reported here. Karyotype analysis indicated that chromosomes of Cirsium taxa generally have median region (m) and rarely median point (M) and submedian region (sm) karyotypes. The findings for each of the analyzed taxa are compared with the results of previous studies. | Turkish Journal of Botany Turk J Bot (2013) 37: 1085-1092 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Karyological studies of 10 Cirsium sect. Epitrachys (Asteraceae) species from Turkey 1 1 2 3 4, Eda YÜKSEL , Yaşar KIRAN , Ahmet ŞAHİN , Bayram YILDIZ , Turan ARABACI * 1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Fırat University, Elazığ, Turkey 2 Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics and Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey 3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Turkey 4 Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, İnönü University, Malatya, Turkey Received: Accepted: Published Online: Printed: Abstract: Detailed karyotype properties were established for 10 Cirsium Mill. sect. Epitrachys DC. species distributed in Turkey. The species Cirsium ligulare Boiss., C. sintenisii Freyn, C. boluënse & Parris, C. eriophorum (L.) Scop., C. steirolepis Petr., C. baytopae & Parris, C. poluninii & Parris, C. ciliatum (Murray) Moench subsp. szovitsii () Petr., C. ellenbergii Bornm., and C. vulgare (Savi) Ten. have the somatic chromosome number 2n = 2x = 34, whereas C. sintenisii and C. vulgare showed 2n = 4x = 68. The chromosome numbers of C. sintenisii, C. boluënse, C. baytopae, C. poluninii, and C. ellenbergii are newly reported here. Karyotype analysis indicated that chromosomes of Cirsium taxa generally have median region (m) and rarely median point (M) and submedian region (sm) karyotypes. The findings for each of the analyzed taxa are compared with the results of previous studies. Key words: Chromosome number, Cirsium, karyotypes, new count, Turkey 1. Introduction The genus Cirsium Mill. (thistle) includes perennial, biennial, and annual members of the family Asteraceae and comprises more than 250 species distributed
