Chromosome numbers and sexual compatibility in North America of Rorippa sylvestris (Cruciferae)
Tetraploid (2n = 32), pentaploid (2n = 40), and hexaploid (2n = 48) plants of Rorippa sylvestris (L.) Besser (Cruciferae) and a natural pentaploid (2n = 40) interspecific hybrid, R. sylvestris × R. palustris (L.) Besser, are recorded for North America. These counts are compared with published information on European plants. Tetraploids are most common in Europe (68 vs. 20%), whereas hexaploids are most common in North America (65 vs. 29%). Although self-incompatible R. sylvestris rarely sets seed in nature, indicating that plants within most sites are genetically the same clone, intraspecific crossing data, chromosome information, and field observations indicate that North American R. sylvestris results from the vegetative introduction of many different genotypes.