¹Department of Biology, Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran
²Department of Biology, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

Summary

The genus Triticum in Iran is illustrated and revised taxonomically. A total of 24 herbarium specimens and 245 accessions collected from the field were examined morphologically. The taxonomic literature of Triticum in Iran is reviewed and discussed. In total, nine Triticum species including three diploid species (T. urartu Thum. ex Gandil., Triticum monococcum L. and T. boeoticum Boiss.), four tetraploid species (T. dicoccum Schrank. ex Schubl.,T. dicoccoides (Korn ex Aschers. et Graebn.)Thell,T. turgidum L. and T. durum Desf.) and two hexaploid species (T. aestivum L. and T. compactum Host.) were identified. Root tip mitosis was observed and chromosome counts made on all accessions collected from the field. A biometrical evaluation was performed on 160 morphological characters. A taxonomic brief key to the genus Triticum in Iran is presented along with a line drawing of each species. The geographical distribution of the species in Iran is summarized on a map. Two new species, T. urartu (2n=14) and T. compactum (2n=42), are reported for the first time for the flora of Iran.

Key words: Triticum L., taxonomy, Iran

Introduction

The genus miTriticum is vitally important economically and has always been the focus of taxonomic and biosystematic attention. Allopolyploidy along with natural and artificial hybridization, as well as nomenclatural debates, have blurred both biological and taxonomic concepts of the species in this and closely related genera (Gupta and Baum 1989; Morrison 1993; Gupta 1997; Yen et a!. 1997; Morrison and Raupp 1999). Morrison (1993) pointed out, that "many current treatments of Triticum, including the floras for the regions of western and central Asia where the wheats are endemic, are lacking in consistency and informational content."

Although the wild germplasm of Triticum in Iran, which is one of the important centers of origin and diversity for different ploidy levels of cultivated wheats (Vavilov 1992), is of immense importance, the taxonomic status of the genus in this country has not been studied adequately (Table 1). Bor (1970), in his treatment in Flora Iranica, mentioned 14 species of which eleven were recorded in Iran itself.

Changing taxonomy of the tribe Triticeae due to increasing information and changing names caused by nomenclatural rules (Gupta and Baum 1989) have greatly affected the taxonomy of the genus Triticum. The deficiency of taxonomic treatments has resulted from inadequate collections; poorly constructed keys and lack of sufficient information in the descriptions, as easily observable in the local taxonomic treatments (Morrison 1993).

This study aimed to make as complete a germplasm collection as possible from Iran, and carry out a thorough taxonomic treatment of Triticum taxa occurring in this country.

*Corresponding author, E-mail: mrr_ir@hotmail.com