| 7. Aegilops caudata from Syria (U.A.R.), Turkey and Greece
Ae. caudata L. (2n=14, genome symbol CC) was collected in various habitats (Table 11) in Syria (U.A.R.), Turkey and Greece. Especially in Turkey this species occurred almost everywhere along the highway or on the hillside in Central Turkey. Based on the collection data, approximate border of its distribution in the north, west and south were estimated, while the eastern limit remains unknown. Anyhow, it can be said that the center of its distribution is in Central Turkey, where only awned forms, var. polyathera, were found. While, the species collected in Greece, Syria (U.A.R.) and Southern Turkey, where are thought to be the peripheral area of the distribution, were all awnless forms, var. typica. As var. typica was the one which was missing in our former collection, it was our exultation when we found it firstly in a poor vegetation along the highway, 53 km N of Hama in Syria (U.A.R.). But it was found abundantly afterwards in Olympia, Greece. These two varieties occurred separately, and no mixed population was found. Supposedly, the awned form in the centre is the primitive type and the awnless form in the periphery the advanced type. Waxy character was also found in some populations. Ae. cylindrica, which is 4x with the genomes CCDD, was found in common populations with Ae. caudata in the area of Samsun-Amasya-corum-cerikli-Ankara-Ayas-Eskisehir, in Turkey. 8. Aegilops umbellulata from Syria (U.A.R.) and Turkey Aegilops umbellulata Zhuk. (2n=14, genome symbol CuCu) was collected from various habitats in Syria (U.A.R.) and Turkey as listed in Table 12. Based on the collection data, the centre of the distribution of this species is presumed to be Central Turkey, and the skirt area of Mt. Hermon in Syria (U.A.R.) will be the southern limit of its distribution. The habitat in Amasya, Turkey, is the steep rocky hill which is the ruin of an ancient stronghold, rising about 100 m up from the town level. There occurred Ae. umbellulata, Ae. biuncialis, Ae. cylindrica, Ae. ovata and Ae. triuncialis in a small spot on the top of the hill. In the area of Cerikli-Ankara-Ayas-Eskisehir-Akseki-Kayseri in Turkey, mixed populations of Ae. umbellulata, Ae. caudata and Ae. triuncialis were found. This is very interesting because Kihara (1944) has established that Ae. triuncialis (genome symbol CuCuCC) is of the amphidiploid origin from the hybrid Ae. umbellulata (CuCu) x Ae. caudata (CC). In Burdur and Akseki, var. typica with nonpubescent glumes and var. pilosa with pubescent glumes occurred mixed. |
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