Chemotaxonomic studies on Aegilops L. (Poaceae) in Iran.

This study, using seed storage protein electrophoresis, evaluates the taxonomic status of the Aegilops L. species and the variation between the species. Therefore, with the seeds of seven species and 46 accessions of Aegilops, the prolamin was separated. On the base of the banding patterns, the cluster analysis among these species was studied. The results of this study show that most of the tetraploid species (2n = 4x = 28; x = 7) and the diploid species (2n = 2x = 14; x = 7) were grouped with each other. This document illustrates that a high gene flow exists among the diploid species. Further, high variability was observed among the accessions of Aegilops species. Morphologically; some of the species, which are very similar (Ae. umbellulata Zhuk., Ae. columnaris Zhuk.), have exactly been distinguished in this method. Chemo taxonomically, the status of these species was partially illustrated. Finally, Prolamin is an appropriate marker for identifying the taxonomic position of Aegilops species.