Populations of Adesmia DC. species bicolores and psoraleoides series, nativo from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were studied to determine the chromosome numbers (in 11 populations of 5 species) and Karyotypes (in 5 of these population in 4 species). All species studied regarding to the chromosome numbers were diploid (2n=2x=20) and in A. incana var. incana besides two diploid races there was one tetraploid race (2n=4x=40). A. incana should not be considered as a tetraploid species, as has been considered in the literature. A. bicolor 9614 seemed to be more ancient among the analized populations due to the high Karyotype symmetry. A. tristis seemed be more recent among the analysed populations due to the karyotype was highly asymmetry.
Adesmia DC; chromosomic number; karyotype
