Investigation of cytogenetic variation in dill (Anethum graveolens L.) populations

Anethum graveolens is one of medcinal plant that use in traditional and modern medicine and some of populations cultivate all of Iran. There is alittle information about cytogenetic status of cultivated populations. Thus, this study was carried out in order to evaluate cytogenetic variation of 15 populations of dill (Anethum graveolens) in a completly randomaized design with three replications using aceto iron hematocylin staining. Measured cytological traits were include number of chromosomes, length of longest and shoetest chromosomes, ratio of longest to shoetest chromosome, ratio of long arm to short arm of chromosomes, total of form, and symmetric index of chromosome. The results indicated that all populations had the basic chromosome number of eleven (x=11 and 2n=22). According to symmetry classes of Stebbins, one population from Gorgan and one from Bahbahan were placed in symmetric class of 1A, one population from Poland was placed in symmetric class of 2B and the rest of populations were placed in symmetric class of 2A. Investigation of asymmetry index showed that populations of Friedan, Poland and Tiran had the lowest symmetry while populations of Gorgan, Behbahan and Shiraz had the highest asymmetry. Cluster analysis classified populations into four groups. This grouping may be used to determine the evolutionary relationships and classification position of populations and for selecting the appropriate populations in future crossing with the purpose of creating diversity.