SYNTHETIC AGROPYRON‐ELYMUS HYBRIDS: III. ELYMUS CANADENSIS X AGROPYRON CANINUM, A. TRACHYCAULUM, AND A. STRIATUM

Abstract

Hybrids were produced with relative ease from controlled crosses of Elymus canadensis L. with European Agropyron caninum (L.) Beauv., North American A. trachycaulum (Link) Malte ex H. F. Lewis, and Asian A. striatum Nees ex Steud. All hybrids appeared to be completely sterile and were, for the most part, morphologically intermediate between their parents. The E. canadensis × A. caninum hybrids were exceptionally vigorous and leafy and may have some potential as forage grasses if fertility can be achieved. All parent plants were tetraploid, 2n = 28, and they behaved cytologically as alloploids. Chromosome pairing in the hybrids indicated that both E. canadensis genomes were closely homologous with those of A. trachycaulum and somewhat less homologous with those of A. caninum. Interchanged and inverted chromosome segments apparently constitute the major differences between E. canadensis, A. trachycaulum, and A. caninum genomes; however, cryptic structural differences must also exist. Partial homologies were detected between one A. striatum and E. canadensis genome, but their other genomes were distinctly different. The genome relations between the parent species were expressed in terms of the following genome formulas: E. canadensis, S1S1X1X1; A. trachycaulum, S2S2X2X2; A. caninum, S3S3X3X3 : and A. striatum S4S4YY or X4X4YY, where “S” refers to a genome derived from A. spicatum and “X” and “Y” are genomes of unknown origin.