THE KARYOTYPE ANALYSIS OF AEGILOPS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GENUS AND TRITICUM

The authors have studied the karyotype and Giemsa N-banding patterns of some species of Aegilops, i.e. Ae.squarrosa, Ae. speltoides, Ae.sharonensis, Ae.caudata, Ae.ovata, Ae.ventricosa, Ae.triuncialis, Ae.triaristata, Ae.biuncialis, Ae.cylindrica and Ae. kotschyi. The result shows that karyotype of C genome is 4sm+3st; D genome 6m+1sm; S genome 6m+1sm and M genome 4m+1sm+2t in Aegilops. Every genome remains relatively stable at the tetra ploid and hexaploid levels. The karyotypes and the banding patterns of S and D genomes in Aegilops show that they are the possible donors of B and D genomes in Triticum. The banding patterns of C and Mgenomes are similar in some aspects to that of B genome in Triticum.