Culpepper, E.E., M.D. Peters, and C.K. McMullen. 2003. Chromosome counts of Alternanthera (Amaranthaceae) species from the Galápagos Islands.

Poster Abstract: Fourteen species of Alternanthera Forssk. (Amaranthaceae) are known to inhabit the Galápagos Islands. Six species are endemic, with one of these, A. filifolia, comprising seven subspecies. Of the remaining eight species, five are natives and three are introduced weeds. The majority of these species are thought to have originated in the western (Andean) region of South America, and arrived in Galápagos via long-distance dispersal by birds. Members range in habit from low-growing subshrubs to small trees, and inhabit both the arid lowlands and the moist uplands. The endemic members of this genus are notable in that they demonstrate one of the better examples of adaptive radiation in Galápagos plants. This study, part of a larger project looking at the phylogeny of Alternanthera, is attempting to document diploid chromosome numbers for the Galápagos members of this genus. Root material for chromosome counts will be obtained from plants growing in the JMU greenhouse. Standard techniques for staining and studying plant chromosomes are being employed.