Nuclear DNA variation in Piper (Piperaceae)

Abstract

Significant interspecific variation in DNA amount was observed among nine species of Piper. The DNA amount of a wild octoploid accession of Piper nigrum was approximately double that of the cultivated tetraploid variety of the same species. However, three New World diploid species had higher nuclear DNA amounts than several New or Old World tetraploid species. The DNA content per basic genome was, on the whole, lower in cultivated than in wild species.Key words: Piperaceae, Piper, Piper nigrum (black pepper), polyploids, DNA amounts.