CHROMOSOME PAIRING AND FERTILITY OF F1 HYBRIDS OF AEGILOPS LONGISSIMA AND AE. SEARSII

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Abstract
The recently described A. searsii Feld. and Kis. is morphologically closely related to A. longissima Schweinf. et Muschl. The cytogenetic affinity of these 2 spp. was estimated by studying karyotypes, chromosomal pairing, pollen fertility and seed set in parental lines and in intra- and inter-specific F1 hybrids. Pairing in A. longissima .times. A. searsii hybrids was incomplete and indicative of several structural rearrangements of parental chromosomes. The hybrids were highly sterile, indicating that the 2 spp. are well isolated from one another by internal chromosomal and genetic barriers. These isolating mechanisms are superimposed upon strong ecological specialization of each species. The data further support the validity of the specific rank of A. searsii and indicate that it contains a distinct genome which was designated Ss.