Notes on the karyology, genetics and ecology of Genista sect. Voglera in Sicily

To investigate the biosystematic and genetic relationships among Sicilian species of Genista sect. Voglera, four populations of three species, Genista aristata C. Presl, G. cupanii Guss., and G. madoniensis Raimondo, have been studied. G. madoniensis is tetraploid, with a chromosome number of 2n = 48, as are the other two species. An isozyme study of showed that G. madoniensis is taxonomically closer to G. aristata than to G. cupanii, the latter possessing four unique alleles. The results are discussed in the context of the ecological characteristics of each species