Allozyme variation in Japanese species of Chionographis (Liliaceae)

Allozyme variation was examined in three diploid taxa Chionographis japonica var. japonica, var. kurokamiana, and C. koidzumiana and three tetraploid taxa C. japonica var. kurohimensis, ssp. hisauchiana, and ssp. minoensis. Results show that C. japonica var. kurokamiana is genetically closer to C. koidzumiana than to var. japonica. In the tetraploid taxa, fixed heterozygosities were found at several loci, and this supports the hypothesis that these taxa are allotetraploids. Furthermore, the tetraploid taxa have many unique alleles not found in the diploid taxa. This suggests that sufficient time has passed since the origin of tetraploids for new mutations to have been fixed.