High Morphological Variability Research Articles

The use of 18S rRNA for identification of the first record of Tadpole Shrimp Lepidurus apus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Jordan

Abstract. Abushattal S, Alnasarat H, Alnaimat SM, Eid E. 2024. The use of 18S rRNA for identification of the first record of Tadpole Shrimp Lepidurus apus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Jordan. Biodiversitas 25: 1223-1229. The tadpole shrimps are living fossils that survive in temporary water pools and are considered benthic organisms that swim and feed on tiny organisms. Two genera of tadpole shrimps exist worldwide: Triops and Lepidurus, which share similar ecological niches and habitats but never coincide. The occurrence of the tadpole shrimp Lepidurus apus in Jordan was confirmed for the first time using the 18S rRNA Gene-Based PCR Assay. The experimental approach encompassed the amplification of biological specimens utilizing a universal amplicon measuring approximately 1,500 base pairs (bp), specifically targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Subsequently, the acquired sequences underwent scrutiny through BlastN search against the GenBank database for validation and comparative analysis. Genetic analysis was needed to define the species accurately, especially with tadpole shrimp's generally high morphological variability. This species was recorded in a temporary freshwater pool in the desert of Al-Jafr in Ma’an governorate in southern Jordan. The DNA analysis showed a 100% identical sequence of the 18S rRNA gene with Lepidurus apus sequences. This record is important due to the ecological role of the tadpole shrimps as filter feeders, consuming algae, bacteria, and other small particles of organic matter, and as a food source for various fish, birds, and other aquatic animals. In addition, it will pave the way for future research to identify its economic importance, such as its role in mosquito control and its potential role in aquaculture. Finally, tadpole shrimp are sensitive to environmental changes and could be used to indicate climatic changes and habitat degradation. This is mainly due to their sensitivity to changes in water quality, including temperature, pH, and chemical composition, and their niche requirements for survival and reproduction. In addition, monitoring tadpole shrimp distribution and comparing it with historical records can reveal patterns of climate-induced range shifts.

Traumatic copulation and counterpart female traits are widespread in fritillary butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Argynnini)

AbstractFemale fritillary butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Argynnini) are known to have diversified genital structures, especially at the entrance of the bursa copulatrix. However, the origin and function of such elaborated structures are poorly known to date. We examined the male and female genital structures of six Japanese species selected from five genera/subgenera [Argynnis (Argynnis), Argynnis (Damora), Argynnis (Argyronome), Fabriciana, and Speyeria] of the Argynnini tribe and found that traumatic copulation is widespread in Argynnini. Various male genital structures, such as the uncus, valva, and phallus, can cause wounds to the female genitalia. The eighth venter of the female, where the highest morphological diversity in female genitalia was detected, is hooked and held by the male uncus during copulation. It is very likely that the diversified female genital structure coevolved with the male uncus as a counterpart for traumatic coupling.

Morphological innovation after mass extinction events in Permian and Early Triassic conodonts based on Polygnathacea

Taxonomic diversity of marine animals decreased markedly during the end-Guadalupian and end-Permian mass extinctions, but conodonts were largely unaffected by these two major events. This conclusion is largely based on potentially problematic conodont taxonomy, but quantitative analyses of conodont morphology have received little attention, despite offering key insights into macroevolutionary dynamics. Polygnathacea conodonts seemingly evolved fast and had high morphological diversity, and are therefore ideal for exploring morphospace trends and disparity related to environmental change in conodonts. Here we compiled discrete character-taxon matrices to first refine phylogenetic interpretations and then explore morphological disparity in four related conodont families, the Anchignathodontidae, Sweetognathidae, Idiognathodontidae and Vjalovognathidae, from the Permian to Early Triassic. Our findings reveal morphological innovation and exploration of new morphospace after the end-Guadalupian mass extinction and end-Permian mass extinction. We also show that the smaller end-Guadalupian extinction event was more impactful, resulting in greater losses of morphological disparity and taxonomic diversity, than the larger end-Permian extinction event. Overall, our study reveals morphological disparity trends related to temporal evolutionary dynamics for conodonts during the geologically and environmentally turbulent Permian and Early Triassic. We show that conodonts are affected by extinction events during this interval in terms of morphological diversity, rather than simply taxonomic diversity.

A bilateral four-headed brachialis muscle with a variant innervation: a cadaveric report with possible clinical implications.

Anterior compartment muscles of the arm present high morphological variability, with possible clinical significance. The current cadaveric report aims to describe a bilateral four-headed brachialis muscle (BM) with aberrant innervation. Emphasis on the embryological background and possible clinical significance are also provided. Classical upper limb dissection was performed on an 84-year-old donated male cadaver. The cadaver was donated to the Anatomy Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. On the left upper limb, the four-headed BM was supplied by the musculocutaneous and the median nerves after their interconnection. On the right upper limb, the four-headed BM received its innervation from the median nerve due to the musculocutaneous nerve absence. A bilateral muscular tunnel for the radial nerve passage was identified, between the BM accessory heads and the brachioradialis muscle. BM has clinical significance, due to its proximity to important neurovascular structures and frequent surgeries at the humerus. Hence, knowledge of these variants should keep orthopedic surgeons alert when intervening in this area. Further dissection studies with a standardized protocol are needed to elucidate the prevalence of BM aberrations and concomitant variants.

A new gnetalean macrofossil from the Lower Cretaceous of the Laiyang Basin, eastern China

•A new species Laiyangia compacta gen. et sp. nov. with unusual female spikes was described from the Laiyang Formation.•This species shows transitional morphology between early ephedroid and modern gnetoid.•The epidermal microstructural character of this species provides a driver paleoclimate of Laiyang area in Early Cretaceous.

First record of the genus Staurocladia (Hydrozoa: Cladonematidae) in the Gulf of Mexico with the description of Staurocladia dzilamensis sp. nov., a new species of crawling hydromedusa

The Cladonematidae are a family of hydrozoans with a worldwide distribution and morphological adaptations for a benthic mode of life. Species of this family are characterized by high morphological variability, which has caused many taxonomical debates, mainly for the species of the genera Eleutheria Quatrefages, 1842 and Staurocladia Hartlaub, 1917. Herein, we describe Staurocladia dzilamensis sp. nov., a new species of crawling hydromedusa from the southern Gulf of Mexico. This finding also constitutes the first record of the genus Staurocladia for the Gulf of Mexico. The presence of additional nematocyst clusters, supplementing the apical one on the upper branch of the tentacles, places it within Staurocladia. The presence of exumbrellar buds, a conspicuous marginal ring of nematocysts, 6–11 bifid tentacles with lower branches longer than their upper counterpart, the cnidome with stenoteles of two size classes, and two nematocyst clusters on the upper branch supplementing the apical one, opposite placed alternately on its aboral and oral sides permits to differentiate S. dzilamensis from its congeners. A taxonomic key for the species of Staurocladia is provided.

Observation on local high-yielding stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni L.) clone specific to Bandung District, West Java

The use of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni L.) as a natural sweetener shows great potential. However, in Indonesia, the lack of superior and highly productive varieties has been a major challenge in its development. Nukita Co-op has developed a promising stevia clone which we evaluated in this study for its readiness to be proposed as a new and improved variety. Our research was conducted in August 2023 through primary and secondary data collection. Primary data comprised the clone development process and morphological variations observed in farmers’ fields, while secondary data included crop productivity and types of stevia-based products made. Our findings revealed that the CM3 clone, derived from a Vietnamese variety, has been cultivated by farmers in Bandung district since 2010. It has high yields (up to 7-ton dry leaves/ha/year) and is marketed as simplisia (unprocessed ingredients) and various tea variants. However, we noted high morphological variations in farmers’ fields. Therefore, stevia clone CM3 is not ready for direct release. With breeding efforts, this clone could be improved through the selection process and released as a high-yielding variety to support stevia’s development as an alternative sweetener.

Morphological variability and fertility of Syringa josikaea pollen under industrial pollution of the Arctic city

The article presents the results of study of the morphology and embryology of Syringa josikaea pollen in the conditions of a cold climate and industrial pollution in the city of Murmansk. Four test sites were laid in the city from the North to the South. During the period of blossoming of lilac, flowers with mature pollen were collected. After staining by acetocarmine, palynological studies and fertility tests were carried out. The shape, size, number of apertures and furrows of pollen, developmental disorders, fertility were studied. High morphological variability and large proportion of sterile pollen were revealed in the North and Central districts of the city of Murmansk, where industrial enterprises are located.

Estudos anatômicos, cariotípicos e de conteúdo de DNA nuclear em quatro morfotipos de alface silvestre

ABSTRACT Wild lettuce (Lactuca aff. canadensis L.), belonging to the Asteraceae family, occurs subspontaneously in Brazil and may originate from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Popularly known as Canada lettuce, it is an unconventional leafy vegetable. Studies on this species are scarce in Brazil, and its scientific name is debated among experts. It has high morphological variability and controversial botanical classification. This study characterized the stomata, organized the karyotype, and determined the nuclear DNA content of four morphotypes of wild lettuce to facilitate correct classification. The genetic material used was acquired from the non-conventional vegetable germplasm in UFLA. The leaves of wild lettuce morphotypes are hypoamphiestomatic with a greater number of stomata in the abaxial epidermis. There were similarities between the morphotypes (green and purple) and between the smooth purple types (narrow leaf and broad leaf) for the number and size of stomata. No variation was found in the number of chromosomes (2n = 18) or DNA content among the four morphotypes. The separation of the morphotypes of wild lettuce did not match the morphological classification or the karyological data. The four morphotypes evaluated were placed under the same species, and the results obtained when compared to other studies led us to infer that the four morphotypes of wild Lactuca belonged to the species L. indica and not L. canadensis as previously assumed. Further investigation may provide insights into the evolutionary history of this species.

Synthesis and performances of a ZnCo2O4@MnMoO4 composite for a hybrid supercapacitor.

To overcome the disadvantages of poor intrinsic conductivity and stability of ZnCo2O4, a ZnCo2O4@MnMoO4 composite as an emerging pseudocapacitor electrode material with high specific capacitance, environmental friendliness, morphological diversity, and unique hierarchical structure was synthesized via a simple two-step hydrothermal method. The research results indicate that the ZnCo2O4@MnMoO4 composite can present a high specific capacity of 1628 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and good cycling stability with 69% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g-1. Hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs) assembled with the ZnCo2O4@MnMoO4 cathode and activated carbon anode can deliver an energy density of 48 W h kg-1 at a power density of 695 W kg-1, and their capacity retention reached 61% after 8000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 10 A g-1. This could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the specific surface area and electrical conductivity enhanced by compositing ZnCo2O4 with MnMoO4. As a result, the excellent electrochemical properties show that the ZnCo2O4@MnMoO4 composite has strong application potential for high-performance supercapacitors.

Characterization of Angraecum (Angraecinae, Orchidaceae) Plastomes and Utility of Sequence Variability Hotspots.

Angraecum, commonly known as Darwin's orchid, is the largest genus of Angraecinae (Orchidaceae). This genus exhibits a high morphological diversity, making it as a good candidate for macroevolutionary studies. In this study, four complete plastomes of Angraecum were firstly reported and the potential variability hotspots were explored. The plastomes possessed the typical quadripartite structure and ranged from 150,743 to 151,818 base pair (bp), with a guanine-cytosine (GC) content of 36.6-36.9%. The plastomes all contained 120 genes, consisting of 74 protein-coding genes (CDS), 38 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes; all ndh genes were pseudogenized or lost. A total of 30 to 46 long repeats and 55 to 63 SSRs were identified. Relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis indicated a high degree of conservation in codon usage bias. The Ka/Ks ratios of most genes were lower than 1, indicating that they have undergone purifying selection. Based on the ranking of Pi (nucleotide diversity) values, five regions (trnSGCU-trnGGCC, ycf1-trnNGGU, trnNGUU-rpl32, psaC-ndhE and trnSGCU-trnGGCC) and five protein-coding genes (rpl32, rps16, psbK, rps8, and ycf1) were identified. The consistent and robust phylogenetic relationships of Angraecum were established based on a total of 40 plastomes from the Epidendroideae subfamily. The genus Angraecum was strongly supported as a monophyletic group and sister to Aeridinae. Our study provides an ideal system for investigating molecular identification, plastome evolution and DNA barcoding for Angraecum.

Redefining the phylogenetic relationships of European Angelica (Apiaceae) species

Angelica (Apiaceae) is a large complex genus with high morphological diversity. The many taxonomic treatments explain the controversy regarding the number of European species, which range from four to ten. Molecular methods have unraveled the complicated Asian and American taxonomies; however, no comprehensive molecular study has been conducted on the European taxa. We aim to determine the number of different European Angelica s.l. taxa and their relationship within the Selineae tribe by conducting Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) analyses based on the nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) and haplotype networks by Templeton Crandall and Sing and neighbour-net analyses based on the plastid trnL. Three separate Iberian species (A. angelicastrum, A. razulii and A. pyrenaea) form the new Iberian Angelica clade, which is sister to the Archangelica clade. Although morphologically different, A. pachycarpa cannot be differentiated from A. angelicastrum by molecular methods, casting new doubts on the existing taxonomies. Molecular evidences suggest that A. heterocarpa should be considered an estuary forma of A. sylvestris. The east and west A. sylvestris subclades support the subspecies A. sylvestris subsp. elatior and A. sylvestris subsp. villosa (including A. heterocarpa). Our evidences support the classification of A. palustris as Ostericum palustre.

Palaeoecology and palaeobiogeographic relationships of Lower Devonian bryozoans from the Guadámez and Peñón Cortado Sections of Sierra Morena (SW Spain)

Bryozoan fauna from the Lower Devonian (Pragian – Emsian) deposits of the Ossa-Morena Zone (SW Spain) comprises twenty-eight species: one cyclostome, two cystoporates, sixteen trepostomes, five cryptostomes, and four fenestrates. Three new genera with one new species, respectively, are described: cyclostome Diploclemella serenensis n. gen. n. sp., trepostome Cordobella tenuis n. gen. n. sp., and cryptostome (rhabdomesine) Serenella dubia n. gen. n. sp. Three trepostome species are new: Leptotrypa parva n. sp., L. modesta n. sp., and Boardmanella spinigera n. sp. Ten species are described in open nomenclature. The studied bryozoan fauna shows high morphological and taxonomical diversity, comprising mostly species of moderate size. The assemblage is clearly dominated by branched ramose and encrusting growth forms. The studied bryozoan fauna shows some distinct palaeobiogeographic relations to the bryozoans from the Lower Devonian of NW Spain, Morocco, and Czech Republic.

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN CONSERVATION AND FARMING PRACTICES OF WATER YAM (DIOSCOREA ALATA L.): LESSONS LEARNED FROM EAST JAVANESE COMMUNITY

Water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is an underutilized crop but plays a crucial role in food security of small and marginal rural families. For centuries, local farmers have planned agricultural production while conserving natural resources by adopting traditional knowledge (TK). This study aims to documents the importance of TK on water yam diversity, conservation and farming practices from the East Javanese community, a case study in Tuban Regency, Indonesia. The data collection was using a purposive sampling through interviews and direct participatory activities. Results showed that at least seven water yam local varieties were recognized with high tuber morphological variations, namely Uwi Bangkulit, Uwi Putih, Uwi Legi, Uwi Ungu, Uwi Sego, Uwi Klelet, and Uwi Randu. The variety naming mostly reflects distinct morphology and perceptual characteristics. The farmer’s reasons to cultivate variety are related to the economic value and consumable preference. Three farming systems were identified including home garden, dry land agriculture and agroforestry. The cultivation patterns are adjusted to the climatic and seasonal changes for many years, with good management practices from seed and soil preparation, planting and crop maintenance, to tuber harvest, storage and marketing. Miscellaneous uses of water yam are also documented for their sustainable livelihoods. This study can serve as a framework for decision-making at local and national level for conservation efforts and further development in cultivation management and utilization of water yam.

Genome Studies in Four Species of Calendula L. (Asteraceae) Using Satellite DNAs as Chromosome Markers

The taxonomically challenging genus Calendula L. (Asteraceae) includes lots of medicinal species characterized by their high morphological and karyological variability. For the first time, a repeatome analysis of a valuable medicinal plant Calendula officinalis L. was carried out using high-throughput genome DNA sequencing and RepeatExplorer/TAREAN pipelines. The FISH-based visualization of the 45S rDNA, 5S rDNA, and satellite DNAs of C. officinalis was performed on the chromosomes of C. officinalis, C. stellata Cav., C. tripterocarpa Rupr., and C. arvensis L. Three satellite DNAs were demonstrated to be new molecular chromosome markers to study the karyotype structure. Karyograms of the studied species were constructed, their ploidy status was specified, and their relationships were clarified. Our results showed that the C. officinalis karyotype differed from the karyotypes of the other three species, indicating its separate position in the Calendula phylogeny. However, the presence of common repeats revealed in the genomes of all the studied species could be related to their common origin. Our findings demonstrated that C. stellata contributed its genome to allotetraploid C. tripterocarpa, and C. arvensis is an allohexaploid hybrid between C. stellata and C. tripterocarpa. At the same time, further karyotype studies of various Calendula species are required to clarify the pathways of chromosomal reorganization that occurred during speciation.

Disentangling the distribution of Adenostyles in the Northern Iberian Peninsula: new insights from nuclear and plastid markers

The genus Adenostyles (Asteraceae) comprises three species with high morphological variability that inhabit south Europe mountainous regions. The Iberian Peninsula harbours A. alpina subsp. pyrenaica and A. alliariae; the former (calcifugate) is restricted to western-central Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains, while the latter (calcicole) is eastern Pyrenees and Sierra de Gredos. The number of taxa inhabiting the Cantabrian Mountains has remained controversial as the sole presence of A. alpina subsp. pyrenaica and the presence of both species and intermediate forms have been reported. Additionally, a recent study casted doubts on the A. alpina subsp. pyrenaica edaphic preference. We determined the number of taxa in the Cantabrian Mountains, their edaphic preference and the presence of hybrids, by conducting phylogenetic analyses based on plastid (trnL-rpL32 and trnH-psbA) and nuclear (ITS) markers. The ITS Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference topologies revealed no edaphic preference for A. alpina subsp. pyrenaica. The plastid networks grouped individuals by geographical origin in the Centre of Distribution and the Peripheral groups. The plastid-nuclear and PhyloNetwork topologies suggested Incomplete Lineage Sorting (ILS) in the Peripheral group, supporting the hypothesis of Quaternary expansions and contractions. No hybrid was found in the Cantabrian Mountains, although evidence suggested gene flow between species.

Население золотоордынского времени Восточно-Причерноморского региона по данным остеометрии (по материалам раскопок могильника Натухаевское 5)

Introduction. Osteometric data of adult individuals of the anthropological series from the burial ground of the Golden Horde time "Natukhaevskoe 5" are presented for the first time in this work. Based on the standard measurements, patterns of the skeletal constitution of the buried are discussed. As part of this study, we tested the hypothesis about the difference in the morphological appearance of two samples, combined according to the type of funeral rite - stone boxes and burial grounds. Materials and methods. The anthropological collection consists of the remains of 124 adult individuals, including 67 males and 57 females. Measurements of the postcranial skeleton were carried out according to the program of R. Martin (in version by V.P. Alekseev) according to 55 features. The degree of homogeneity of the male and female samples was determined using an intragroup analysis with the method of principal components for 10 features. The Mann-Whitney test was used to assess the statistical significance of differences. Results. The male population was rather tall with a shortened robust humerus and an elongated forearm bones, the lower limbs were long and massive. Among the female group, there is also a tendency to lengthen the lower limbs, relative to the upper ones, mainly due to the lower leg. The conducted intragroup analysis did not reveal statistically significant differences between the two groups, united according to the type of funeral rite, neither among men nor among women. However, a large range of linear size variations was found among men buried in stone boxes. Compared to them, the sample from the ground pit is more homogeneous. A different picture is observed in the female sample, where higher morphological diversity can be traced among those buried in the pits. @ 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Morphological diversity of cancer cells predicts prognosis across tumor types.

Intratumor heterogeneity drives disease progression and treatment resistance, which can lead to poor patient outcomes. Here, we present a computational approach for quantification of cancer cell diversity in routine hematoxylin-eosin-stained histopathology images. We analyzed publicly available digitized whole-slide hematoxylin-eosin images for 2000 patients. Four tumor types were included: lung, head and neck, colon, and rectal cancers, representing major histology subtypes (adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas). We performed single-cell analysis on hematoxylin-eosin images and trained a deep convolutional autoencoder to automatically learn feature representations of individual cancer nuclei. We then computed features of intranuclear variability and internuclear diversity to quantify tumor heterogeneity. Finally, we used these features to build a machine-learning model to predict patient prognosis. A total of 68 million cancer cells were segmented and analyzed for nuclear image features. We discovered multiple morphological subtypes of cancer cells (range = 15-20) that co-exist within the same tumor, each with distinct phenotypic characteristics. Moreover, we showed that a higher morphological diversity is associated with chromosome instability and genomic aneuploidy. A machine-learning model based on morphological diversity demonstrated independent prognostic values across tumor types (hazard ratio range = 1.62-3.23, P < .035) in validation cohorts and further improved prognostication when combined with clinical risk factors. Our study provides a practical approach for quantifying intratumor heterogeneity based on routine histopathology images. The cancer cell diversity score can be used to refine risk stratification and inform personalized treatment strategies.

Origin and evolution of the Neogene calcareous nannofossil Ceratolithus

Sediment samples of deep marine oceanic ODP boreholes from sites 999 in the Caribbean Sea and 1237 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean covering the period between 6 and 4.5 Ma have been studied with a focus on ceratolith evolution. Orthorhabdus rugosus is a nannolith with three blades (sinistral, median, and dextral) that first appeared during the Serravallian, it is not-birefringent in its stable orientation. It shows a high morphological variability time-interval at the end of the Messinian to the basal Pliocene (5.5 to 5 Ma) during which Ceratolithus (5.484 Ma) evolved. Changes occurred in the sinistral and median blades, whilst the dextral blade was reduced. Ceratolithus finifer n. comb is the first species of the evolutionary line. The nannolith stable position changed during its evolution, resulting in the older forms showing low birefringence and the younger ones moderate to high birefringence in the most stable orientation. Ceratolithus acutus, with an arrowhead shape, Ceratolithus armatus, and the morphologically distinct C. larrymayeri evolved from C. finifer with all three species showing high birefringence. The previous O. rugosus and C. finifer continued. Finally, C. armatus gives rise to C. cristatus. Ceratolithus atlanticus and C. tricorniculatus also evolved from C. finifer. All the species mentioned become extinct during the Pliocene except Ceratolithus cristatus that lives today. Detailed observations permit the analysis of the evolutionary trends of the group, possible mechanisms, patterns, and processes of speciation, and establish new criteria to define the species that, by their relative abundance and short geologic range, have permitted adjustment of biostratigraphic markers for this period.

MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ORCHARDGRASS (Dactylis glomerata L.) NATURALLY SPREAD IN EASTERN ANATOLIA, TÜRKIYE

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is a cold-resistant, perennial and one of the main forage species of meadows and pastures. A total of 9 morphological traits were considered for the morphological characterization of the orchardgrass, which is naturally distribusted in the flora of 43 different locations in 8 provinces of the Eastern Anatolia of Türkiye. According to the analysis of variance; significant differences were determined between genotypes in terms of the morphological traits examined. These differences resulted in a high degree of phenotypic variation. In addition, correlation coefficient analysis showed a significant (P&lt;0.01) and positive relation between most of the traits examined. The highest correlation coefficient was between plant height and peduncle length (0.864**), flag leaf length and flag leaf width (0.765**), flag leaf length and panicle length (0.734**) The first five Principal components (PCA) explained 70.31 % of the total variation in orchardgrass genotypes. The highest plant height and maximum number of tillers, which are important for grass yield and reproduction, were determined in M75 (77.57 cm) and R163 (27.85 per/plant) respectively. The high morphological variation among orchardgrass genotypes indicates the existence of a rich genetic population and can be considered as breeding material. Keywords: Türkiye, Eastern Anatolia, morphological characterization, phenotypic variation, Dactylis glomerata, orchardgrass.