Cytogenetic studies of Apuleia leiocarpa were carried out in order to determine and arrange the species karyotype. Seeds were collected in Cerrito, Santa Maria - RS. The research was developed at the Laboratory of Vegetal Cytogenetics and Biotechnology of the Biology Department at the Federal University of Santa Maria - RS, during 1996 and 1997. A variation in the number of chromosomes from 20 to 28 was found in metaphases of mitosis. Such variation suggests that Apuleia leiocarpa is a leguminous with polysomy capacity. The chromosomal number of the species is 2n = 2x = 26, distributed in the karyotypic formula 20m + 4 sm + 2 t.
chromosomes; cytogenetics; leguminous trees
