Genetic variability in 16 Damask Rose (Rosa damascena) accessions using karyotypic characteristics

Rosa damascena Mill. is one of the most important aromatic plants in Iran and throughout the world. In order to investigate genetic variations between different accessions of Rosa damascena Mill., a cytogenetic study was performed. The accessions were studied for several karyotypic characteristics, including long and short arm length, by which the total length of the chromosomes, long arm to short arm and short arm to long arm, ratios were calculated. Analysis of variance of mitotic data in a factorial experimental design based on a completely randomized design, showed significant differences (p<0.01) between the studied accessions for all of the traits (p<0.01). Duncan tests were carried out in order to classify the accessions and their chromosomes. All of the sixteen accessions had 14 chromosome pairs, without any sat-chromosome and B-chromosome. The minimum total length of chromosomes belonged to the Yazd2 population and the maximum total length of chromosomes belonged to the Khuzestan1 accession. Most of the chromosomes were sub-metacentric based on Levan’s classification and karyotypic symmetry measurements showed that most of the accessions have asymmetric chromosomes.