Abstract
Embryos of 21 accessions of the genus Elytrigia s.l. were studied. Characters of scutellum, coleoptile, coleorhiza and epiblast were taken into consideration. Correlation of characters proves an independence of epiblast organogenesis. Principal components analysis reveals high loadings of embryo axis characters in the component I. Length of embryo, width of coleoptile and width of epiblast base were chosen as the best discriminants to distinguish the species. Cluster analysis joins, among other things, Elytrigia intermedia and E. elongata, E. elongata and E. juncea as well as E. repens and E. pungens. PCA shows an intermediate position of E. nodosa and E. intermedia in relation to E. elongata and E. repens. E. geniculata is an intermediate between E.juncea and other species. Scattering of species in the PCA diagram is consistent with Löve's genomic system of the Triticeae taxonomy.
Keywords
Elytrigia s.l.; embryo structure; numerical phenetic approach