Karyomorphological studies of 12 species in Elytrigia Desv. sensu lato (Poaceae: Triticeae)

Elytrigia Desv. is distributed widely around the world and is an important forage grass and genetic reservoir for wheat improvement. In the present study, the karyotype analyses of 12 species in Elytrigia sensu lato were carried out. Their karyotype formula are as follows: Elytrigia bessarabica, 2n = 2x = 14 = 14m; E. libanotica, 2n = 2x = 14 = 2M + 8m (2sat) + 4sm; E. gracillima, 2n = 2x = 14 = 2M + 10m + 2sm; E. caespitosa, 2n = 4x = 28 = 2M + 24m + 2sm; E. nodusa, 2n = 4x = 28 = 2M + 22m + 4sm; E. scirpea, 2n = 4x = 28 = 2M + 22m + 4sm (2sat); E. scythica, 2n = 4x = 28 = 22m + 6sm (2sat); E. varnensis, 2n = 4x = 28=28m; E. elongatiformis, 2n = 6x = 42 = 42m; E. intermedia, 2n = 6x = 42 = 32m + 10sm (2sat); E. pycnantha, 2n = 6x = 42 = 40m + 2sm; E. smithii, 2n = 8x = 56 = 34m + 22sm (4sat). The karyotype type of diploid species is 1A, and the polyploid species are 1B or 2B. These results indicated that karyotype variations (ploidy, karyotype formula and numbers and locations of satellite chromosomes) existed among populations and species.