Genome sizes and ploidy levels in Mexican cactus pear species Opuntia (Tourn.) Mill. series Streptacanthae Britton et Rose, Leucotrichae DC., Heliabravoanae Scheinvar and Robustae Britton et Rose

The ploidy levels and amounts of DNA of 23 Opuntia species from Mexico were determined by flow cytometry. Four different ploidy levels (2n = 2x, 2n = 4x, 2n = 6x, 2n = 8x) with 2C-DNA amount ranging from 4.17 pg (Opuntia incarnadilla Griffiths) to 6.53 pg (Opuntia heliabravoana Scheinvar) were determined among the samples analyzed. Polyploidy is widespread (93%) among these Opuntia species. Opuntia heliabravoana Scheinvar was the sole diploid species. Opuntia leucotricha DC. (2C = 5.71 pg), Opuntia spinulifera Salm-Dyck (2C = 5.51 pg), Opuntia robusta Wendl. ex Pfeiff. var. larreyi (F. A. C. Weber) Bravo (2C = 4.98 pg), and Opuntia elizondoana E. Sánchez et Villaseñor (2C = 5.29 pg) were tetraploids. Opuntia oligacantha C.F. Först. (2C = 5.33 pg), Opuntia incarnadilla Griffiths and Opuntia matudae Scheinvar (2C = 5.25 pg) were hexaploids. Opuntia zamundioi Scheinvar (2C = 4.35 pg), Opuntia lasiacantha Pfeiff. (2C = 4.88 pg), Opuntia hyptiacantha F.A.C. Weber (2C = 4.84 pg), Opuntia streptacantha Lem. ssp. streptacantha (2C = 4.64 pg) and Opuntia streptacantha Lem. subsp. aguirrana Scheinvar et A. Rodríguez (2C = 4.43 pg), Opuntia megacantha Salm-Dyck (2C = 5.01 pg), Opuntia joconostle F.A.C. Weber. ex Diguet (2C = 4.70 pg), Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller (2C = 4.90 pg), Opuntia albicarpa Scheinvar (2C = 4.80 pg), Opuntia amarilla Griffiths (2C = 4.84 pg), Opuntia chavena Griffiths (2C = 4.70 pg), Opuntia cochinera Griffiths (2C = 5.10 pg), Opuntia fuliginosa Griffiths (2C = 4.64 pg), Opuntia pachona Griffiths (2C = 4.70 pg), Opuntia cretochaeta Griffiths (2C = 4.35 pg), Opuntia rzedowskii Scheinvar (2C = 4.77 pg), Opuntia robusta Wendl. ex Pfeiff. ssp. robusta (2C = 4.98 pg) and Opuntia robusta Wendl. ex Pfeiff. var. guerrana (Griffiths) Sánchez-Mejorada (2C = 5.05 pg) were all octoploids. The series Streptacanthae Britton et Rose showed a high level of ploidy with octoploid species except for Opuntia heliabravoanae Scheinvar (2n = 2x), Opuntia elizondoana E. Sánchez and Villaseñor (2n = 4x) and O. matudae Scheinvar (2n = 6x). Opuntia spinulifera Salm-Dyck was determined to be as a tetraploid species. Series Leucotrichae DC. grouped tetraploid and hexaploid species. The monospecific series Heliabravoanae Scheinvar has one species: Opuntia heliabravoana Scheinvar diploid (2n = 2x). The monospecific series Robustae Britton et Rose seems to be a contradictory group; containing three varieties: Opuntia robusta Wendl. ex Pfeiff. ssp. robusta and Opuntia robusta Wendl. ex Pfeiff. var. guerrana (Griffiths) Sánchez-Mejorada as octoploid taxa and: Opuntia robusta Wendl. ex Pfeiff. var. larreyi (F.A.C. Weber) Bravo which is tetraploid. In earlier report Rafael del Castillo and Mario González-Espinosa (1988) indicate that the arborescent varieties of this species are diploid and the postrate variety tetraploid. Implications for botanical systematics, genetic resources and breeding are discussed.