Allozyme differentiation in four species of the Crocus cartwrightianus group and in cultivated saffron (Crocus sativus)

The genetic variability and divergence of four species of the genus Crocus L., related to Crocus cartwrightianus group, namely Crocus thomasii Ten., Crocus hadriaticus Herbert, Crocus oreocreticus B.L. Burtt, C. cartwrightianus Herbert, has been studied by means of starch gel isozyme electrophoresis. For each population the following enzymatic loci were analyzed: PGI-1, PGI-2, G6PDH-1, G6PDH-2, IDH-1, IDH-2, 6PGDH-1, 6PGDH-2, SKDH-1, SKDH-2, AK-1 and AK-2. The genetic variability was estimated through the parameters A (mean number of alleles per locus), P (percent of polymorphic loci), Ho (mean observed heterozygosity), and He (mean expected heterozygosity). The genetic differentiation has been assayed by Wrigth's F-statistics, and the genetic divergence by Nei's index. Our data confirmed that the taxa are distinct species, in spite of their similar morphology and karyology. C. thomasii is more genetically similar to C. cartwrightianus and C. oreocreticus than to C. hadriaticus. We hypothesized an autopolyploid origin of saffron, probably from C. cartwrightianus, considering the genotypic classes of Crocus sativus and the other related species of the C. cartwrightianus group studied here.