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II. Triticum
T. vulgare, T. compactum, T. turgidum and T.
durum were collected from the whole area along the
expedition route. They were classified according to the
classification systems of KOERNICKE (1885), PERCIVAL (1921)
and MANSFELD (1951). 29 groups - 51 varieties were found in
T. vulgare, also one in T. compactum, 5 in
T. durum and one in T. turgidum.
With respect to 4 principal and morphological characters in
T. vulgare, strains from the Tehran, Isfahan and
Kabul regions showed wide variations, while the strains from
the Gorgan and Tabriz regions were less variable. Three new
varieties were found in the collection.
The vulgare strains from the Isfahan region are
characterized by inflated and awnless ear. Wheat with
pubescent chaff has been found among the Isfahan materials.
Many varieties, including those with inflated short awned
ear, were found in the Tehran region.
T. compactum was found mainly in the mountaineous
area in the Kabul region and in Ardabil in the Pahlavi
region. The Afghan strains were characterized by slight
square-headedness, while the Iranian ones were normal.
Five varieties of T. durum were found in the Gorgan
region. Ae. squarrosa was found there in or along the
borders of durum-wheat fields.
T. turgidum with branched ear was found in the
Isfahan region. This variety seems to have been introduced
recently from Russia.
A sample obtained by the courtesy of Dr. M. ATAI, University
of Tehran, carrying the name T. monococcum, revealed
to be 2n=28. It could be a new variety of T.
polonicum from the morphological and cytological
observations. According to HESLOT (1959) this variety is a
new species, T. ispahanicum.
III. Artificially synthesized hexaploid wheats
New hexaploid wheats synthesized from hybrids between emmer
wheats and Ae. squarrosa including three varieties,
var. typica, var. meyeri and var.
strangulata. In general, the cross combination of
T. persicum x Ae. squarrosa,
strangulata or meyeri gave high percentages of
pollen- and seed-fertility in F1 hybrids. This
result favors the view that T. persicum may be
considered one of the ancestors of our hexaploid wheats. The
amphidiploid ABD No. 22 synthesized from T. persicum
and a leaf rust resistant strain of Ae. squarrosa,
showed fair resistance.
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