Berberis integerrima (Berberidaceae) is a taxonomically challenging species with a variety of morphological traits. The species has been the subject of several cytological researches, the majority of which have focused on evaluating the number of chromosomes. For the present study, we gathered seeds from 21 wild populations (10 individuals from each population) for mitotic examinations and young flower buds of an appropriate size of 51 populations were collected for meiotic studies. The examined plants of 19 accessions (for mitotic study) were tetraploid and two accessions (Kerman province) were hexaploid. We were unable to create idiograms due to the small size of the chromosomes. In general, a basic chromosome number of x = 14 (2n = 4x = 56, 2n = 6x = 84) was confirmed for all investigated specimens. Meiotic analyses also supported the polyploidy of the examined taxa. B chromosomes were found in eight accessions. Additionally, abnormalities in the examined cells were observed. Using flow cytometry analyses, we also sought to test the ploidy for in 21 germplasm collections from various regions of Iran. In these analyses, the hexaploidy level of the Kerman accession was confirmed. Chromosomal abnormalities, such as aneuploid cells or the loss of entire or parts of chromosome arms, were found based on both meiotic and flow cytometry investigations. In overall, B. integerrima is a common species with a very wide distribution area in Iran. Simultaneously occurrence of different ploidy levels in the examined populations from this species probably implied different taxa under this name concealed and the necessity in its taxonomic arrangements.

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