Ploidy levels and reproductive behaviour in invasive Hieracium pilosella in Patagonia

Within a population of invasive Hieracium pilosella in Chilean Patagonia we found two ploidy levels, pentaploid and hexaploid. Each ploidy level was represented by one clone. Their reproductive system was apomictic (and thus replicating the maternal genome), with a low degree of residual sexuality. It is necessary to prevent the evolution of new biotypes via hybridisation with different clones of H. pilosella or other Hieracium species introduced into Patagonia.