A near full-length cDNA (1.9 kb) was used as probe forin situ hybridization to assign one of the two highly homologous 4-coumarate: CoA ligase genes in parsley (Petroselinum crispum) to the short arm of a submetacentric chromosome. The results suggest, but do not definitely prove, that the second gene is located on a metacentric chromosome and is thus unlinked from the other.