Evaluation of Diagnostic Reproductive and Vegetative Characters among Tetraploid Triticum L. Species (Poaceae; Triticeae) in Iran.

This study concerns the evaluation of 19 vegetative and reproductive characters (7 qualitative and 12 quantitative) among 45 accessions belonging to wild and cultivated tetraploid Triticum L. species: T. turgidum L., T. durum Desf., T. dicoccum (Schrank) Schrebler and T. dicoccoides (Koern. ex Aschers. et Graebn.) Aaronsohn, occurring in Iran. The results of this study show that T. turgidum is a distinct species from T. durum, and T. dicoccum showed high similarity to T. dicoccoides. The strong relationship between the latter pair of species may result from a high degree of gene flow between them. The diagnostic characters between T. turgidum and the other 3 species are the number of awns in the uppermost spikelet, form of the keel of the glume, leaf indumentum, spike shape, lodicule form and quality of the endosperm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]