| The genus Amaranthus has been gaining more attention due to its nutritional qualities, but remains challenging due to difficulty in identification. The purpose of this study was to quantify nuclear DNA amounts for various species and populations within this genus. Nuclear DNA amounts for a total of 12 species spanning 15 populations were determined. Picogram amounts for the 2C DNA content ranged from 0.57 pg in A. powellii bouchonii to 2.73 pg in A. tricolor, with a mean of 1.28 pg. Intraspecific variation was observed in two species, A. arenicola and A. blitum, but absent in a third, A. graecizans.; The genus Amaranthus has been proposed to have three subgenera, Amaranthus, Acnida, and Albersia. This study's data has shown that subgenus Amaranthus has a smaller genome than subgenera Acnida and Albersia. Also, within the subgenus Albersia , three sections have been proposed, Blitopsis, Pentamorion, and Pyxidium. This study's data has shown section Pyxidium to have a larger genome than sections Blitopsis and Pentamorion. |
