Comments on the variation of spike morphology in selected species of Elytrigia and Elymus (Triticeae)

Abstract

The structure of spikes of Elytrigia repens, E. intermedia and Elymus caninus was investigated. The number of spikelets per spike reveals the weakest correlations with other characters of the spike. The same concerns some character ratios. The correlations provide information about the segmented structure (metamers) of the spike. There is a great difference between matrices of correlation coefficients for E. repens and E. intermedia related to the development and structure of spike. Characters important for the description of the spike were chosen - in five-character set these are among others: length of glume awn in median spikelet, length of lemma awn in the first floret of the median spikelet, number of spikelets per spike. Length of lemma awn and mean length of the rachis segment were recognized as the best discriminants for species. Ordination of forms along axes of canonical variates does not indicate the subunits within E. repens. Intermediate forms between E. repens and Elymus caninus have not been found. Between E. repens and E. intermedia there exists some proximity. Heteromorphic individuals were described by means of cluster analysis. They prove the mobility of the genome in ramets of a single genet.