| I. Research Notes On the origin of Triticum carthlicum NEYSKI (=Triticum persicum VAV.) Hermann KUCKUCK Institute of Applied Genetics of the University Hannover, Federal Republic of Germany Triticum carthlicum is very distinct in its morphology from the other free threshing tetraploid wheats, such as Triticum durum, turgidum, turanicum, iranicum and polonicum. As it looks very much like the wheats of T. aestivum ssp. vulgare, it was classified at first as an hexaploid species. A striking feature is the awned glume, so all the spikelets show four awns. Later, on account of its resistance to mildew and rust and the chromosome number with 2n=28, T. carthlicum was recognized to be a tetraploid species (SCHIEMANN 1948). As in 1953, in Iran, I met wheats with 4 awns I had the illusion to have made the first findings of T. carthlicum in Iran, up to now still unknown in this country. But chromosome number proved an hexaploid wheat. Later Dr. GOKGOL, at that time chief of Plant Breeding Institute in Istanbul-Yelsikoy taught me how to distinguish between the true tetraploid T. carthlicum and the hexaploid T. aestivum ssp. carthlicoides: the awns of the glumes of T. carthlicum are longer than those of carthlicoides. From that time I became particularly interested in the problem of the relationship of these two species and of the origin of T. carthlicum. In 1967 the Turkish Sugar Trust gave me the chance to carry out a collecting excursion through the eastern part of Turkey along the boundary to the U.d.S.S.R. and Iran by providing me with transportation and guidance. This region is distinguished by a tremendous genetic variation in wheat including T. dicoccum, T. carthlicum and T. aestivum ssp. macha which are grown to some extent resp. still had been grown at that time according to the information I received from Dr. GOKGOL. The route of the collecting excursion which started in Erzurum is mapped in Fig. 1. Samples were taken at 38 localities designated with consecutive numbers by selecting single ears out from the populations directly in the field. However only such populations are marked up on the map where populations with T. carthlicum, T. aestivum ssp. carthlicoides or T. dicoccum are grown. These localities are situated at a latitude between 39o30' and 41o10', on a longitude between 41o50' and 43o40' and on an altitude of about 1800 m. |
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