Agro-morphological traits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cicer reticulatum</Emphasis> Ladizinsky in comparison to <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. echinospermum</Emphasis> P.H. Davis in terms of potential to improve cultivated chickpea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">C. arietinum</Emphasis> L.)

Germplasm collections of C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum are limited, while both species face threats from over-grazing and habitat change in their natural environments. Recently many new accessions of C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum were collected in east and south-east Anatolia (Turkey) but they have not yet been evaluated for agro-morphological traits. Therefore, the current study investigated agro-morphological traits of new germplasm sources of C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum and evaluated resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses for chickpea improvement. The most attractive agro-morphological traits were canopy width, number of stems and pods per plant and biological yield. The most productive accessions of C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum had 712 and 625 pods per plant, respectively. Two distinct seed, flower and leaf shapes were found in accessions of C. echinospermum. Path analyses indicated that biological yield and harvest index had the most direct influence on seed yield in both species. Factor analyses showed that high seed yield in C. reticulatum depended on high biological yield and number of pods per plant, whereas high seed yield in C. echinospermum depended on harvest index. It was concluded that most accessions of C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum were not only resistant to some biotic and abiotic stresses but also had hidden alleles that could produce transgressive segregation in crosses to cultivated material.     

Genetic diversity of dihydrochalcone content in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus</Emphasis> germplasm

Dihydrochalcones, beneficial phenolic compounds, are abundant in Malus Mill. species, particularly in vegetative tissues and seeds. Phloridzin (phloretin 2′-O-glucoside) is the primary dihydrochalcone in most Malus species including cultivated apple, Malus?×?domestica Borkh. A few species contain sieboldin (3-hydroxyphloretin 4′-O-glucoside) or trilobatin (phloretin 4′-O-glucoside) in place of phloridzin, and interspecific hybrids may contain combinations of phloridzin, sieboldin, and trilobatin. Proposed health benefits of phloridzin include anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic properties, suggesting the potential to breed apples for nutritional improvement. Sieboldin and trilobatin are being investigated for nutritional value and unique chemical properties. Although some of the biosynthetic steps of dihydrochalcones are known, little is known about the extent of variation within Malus germplasm. This research explores the genetic diversity of leaf dihydrochalcone content and composition in Malus germplasm. Dihydrochalcone content was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from leaf samples of 377 accessions, representing 50 species and interspecific hybrids from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Plant Germplasm System Malus collection. Within the accessions sampled, 284 accessions contained phloridzin as the primary dihydrochalcone, one had only trilobatin, two had phloridzin and trilobatin, 36 had sieboldin and trilobatin, and 54 had all three. Leaf phloridzin content ranged from 17.3 to 113.7 mg/g with a heritability of 0.76 across all accessions. Beyond the potential of dihydrochalcones for breeding purposes, dihydrochalcone composition may be indicative of hybridization or species misclassification.     

Size homoplasy and mutational behavior of chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSRs) inferred from intra- and interspecific variations in four chloroplast regions of diploid and polyploid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegilops</Emphasis> species

Chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSRs) are widely distributed in the chloroplast genomes of all plant species, and are frequently employed for genotypic and phylogenetic analysis. However, information on intra- and interspecies variation in cpSSRs is lacking. In this study, we sequenced four intergenic (non-coding) chloroplast DNA regions in 57 accessions of 12 tetraploid, and 16 accessions of 4 hexaploid species of Triticum and Aegilops. These sequence data added to our previous data for diploid species in the same chloroplast regions. Intra- and interspecific genetic variation was analyzed for a total of 189 accessions of 13 diploid, 12 tetraploid, and 4 hexaploid species of Triticum and Aegilops, such that all species were represented by multiple accessions. The data were used to infer phylogenetic relationships within and among Triticum and Aegilops species. Based on this robust phylogenetic tree, seven of eight cpSSR loci clearly exhibited “size homoplasy,” referring to the fact that cpSSRs of identical size and DNA sequence can arise even if the alleles are not descended from a common ancestor. These data indicate that cpSSRs should be used with caution in phylogenetic analyzes. Interestingly, as observed from several previous studies, our data also suggest that observed mutation rates may increase significantly when mononucleotide (homopolymer) repeat numbers reach or exceed 9 bp. In the present report, using this sequence data set involving cpSSRs, 81 unique haplotypes among 189 accessions were detected, and five tetraploid Triticum and Aegilops species were successfully identified and genotyped. Our results indicate that combinations of nucleotide substitutions, indels and SSRs of chloroplast nucleotide sequences are available for genotyping at the species accession level.     

Cross-transferability of SSR markers in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Osmanthus</Emphasis>

Developing a molecular tool kit for hybrid breeding of Osmanthus species and related genera is an important step in creating a systematic breeding program for this species. To date, molecular resources have been aimed solely at Osmanthus fragrans with little work to develop markers for other species and cultivars. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine cross-transferability of O. fragrans and Chionanthus retusus derived SSRs in diverse Osmanthus taxa, (2) quantify the influence of locus-specific factors on cross-transferability, and (3) determine the genetic relationships between accessions. We tested 70 SSR markers derived from O. fragrans and C. retusus in 24 accessions of Osmanthus. Sixty-seven markers showed transfer to at least one other Osmanthus species with an overall transfer rate of 84% of loci across taxa. Genotyping with 42 microsatellite markers yielded a total of 367 loci. Number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 17 with a mean of 8.7 ± 4.8. Mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.560 ± 0.225 and 0.688 ± 0.230, respectively. Percent of polymorphic loci ranged from 40% in Osmanthus delavayi to 100% in O. fragrans. Osmanthus fragrans had the highest mean number of alleles per locus (4.2) while O. delavayi had the lowest (1.1). A reduced suite of eight-markers can distinguish between accessions with non-exclusion probabilities of identity from 3.91E?⁰⁴ to 2.90E?⁰⁷. The SSR markers described herein will be immediately useful to characterize germplasm, identify hybrids, and aid in understanding the level of genetic diversity and relationships within the cultivated germplasm.     

The genetic relationship and structure of some natural interspecific hybrids in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus</Emphasis> subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunophora</Emphasis>, based on nuclear and chloroplast simple sequence repeats

In the subgenus Prunophora of the genus Prunus, many transitional traits presented in interspecific hybrids, the so-called ‘new species’, were frequently named due to the complicated botanical classification system. In this study, we used 16 nuclear simple sequence repeats (nSSRs) and 10 chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSRs) to evaluate genetic relationships among 42 accessions, which included 15 putative interspecific hybrids, and then to reveal the speciation and differentiation in the subgenus Prunophora. In total, 231 and 27 alleles were observed in nSSRs and cpSSRs respectively; and with cpSSRs 20 haplotypes were revealed among the accessions. Furthermore, the haplotype and genetic structure analysis implied that (1) Prunus simonii Carr. might be a subspecies or a forma of Prunus salicina L., rather than an interspecific hybrid between P. salicina and Prunus armeniaca L., (2) Prunus limeixing Zhang et Wang was derived from a natural hybrid with P. salicina as its maternal progenitor and P. armeniaca as the female parent, and (3) Prunus cathayana Fu et al. (or kernel-using apricot) was an interspecific hybridization species of P. armeniaca (maternal parent) and Prunus sibirica L. (female parent). These results will be useful for clarifying the problems in the botanical classification, and facilitate the conservation and management of plum and apricot genetic resources in the Chinese National Germplasm Repository for Plums and Apricots.     

Discriminating power of microsatellites in cranberry organelles for taxonomic studies in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vaccinium</Emphasis> and Ericaceae

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA, which have not been previously developed in the Ericaceae or, more specifically, in the genus Vaccinium, can be powerful tools for determining evolutionary relationships among taxa. In this study, 30 chloroplast, 23 mitochondrial, and 1 mitochondrion-like SSRs were identified in cranberry (V. macrocarpon), and primer-pairs were developed and tested for each locus. Although no polymorphisms were detected for any of the 54 SSR loci in nine diverse cranberry genotypes, all primers were cross-transferable to some extent to a panel of 12 additional Vaccinium taxa and four non-Vaccinium Ericaceae species. A Neighbor-Joining tree of the estimated average squared distances resolved the species by genus and by section within Vaccinium. Similar topologies with increased branch support were observed in Bayesian inference trees constructed from the DNA sequences of six plastid and two mitochondrial SSR loci. Two multiplexing/poolplexing panels of M13 fluorescently labeled primers, which amplify 24 of the 54 markers, were developed and can serve as an efficient, cost-effective means for characterizing the basic molecular phylogeny of Vaccinium. Increased understanding of evolutionary relationships among Vaccinium species should facilitate interspecific hybridization and introgression efforts to improve economically important traits of commercial berry crops.     

Relationships among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crataegus</Emphasis> accessions sampled from Hatay,Turkey, as assessed by fruit characteristics and RAPD

The genus Crataegus known as hawthorns, is the largest genus among the Maloideae, which comprises 265 species. Turkey is one of the genetic centers of Crataegus and there are more than 20 species found in Turkey. The fruits of Crataegus are used as food and have high flavonoid, vitamin C, glycoside, anthocyanidin, saponin, tannin, and antioxidant levels. In this study, we attempted to characterize 15 Crataegus accessions sampled from Hatay, located in Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. The accessions belonged to several species; C. aronia (L.) DC. var. aronia, C. aronia var. dentata Browicz, C. aronia var. minuta Browicz, C. monogyna Jacq. subsp. azarella (Griseb.) Franco, and C. orientalis Pall. ex M. Bieb. var. orientalis. Fruit characteristics of the accessions exhibited considerable variation. The multivariate, principle component and cluster analyses indicated that the accessions belonged to three groups: (1) C. aronia var. arona accessions; (2) C. aronia var. dentata accessions; and, (3) C. monogyna subsp. azarella and C. orientalis var. orientalis accessions. The principle component analysis results also revealed that the first three components explained 46, 21, and 14% of the variation, comprising a total of 81%. The fruit length and width, leaf area, and soluble solids contents were highly correlated characteristics for the first three components. The 19 RAPD primers generated a total of 107 bands, where 76 of these were polymorphic. The molecular data analyses by principle coordinate and clustering showed similar results to those of pomological characteristics. There were three groups, (1) C. aronia var. arona accessions; (2) C. aronia var. dentata accession; and, (3) C. monogyna subsp. azarella. C. orientalis var. orientalis accession grouped with C. aronia var. arona accessions. Therefore, it can be concluded that, overall, the diversity patterns of pomological and molecular data, generated by RAPD, for Crataegus are in good agreement and the accessions of C. aronia var. aronia, C. aronia var. minuta, C. monogyna subsp. azarella and C. orientalis var. orientalis accessions.     

Remarks on genetic diversity and relationship of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Punica protopunica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. granatum</Emphasis> assessed by molecular analyses

Here, two Punica species, viz., P. protopunica Balf. fil., reported as native to Socotra, and P. granatum L., were compared for the first time. Analysis of one P. protopunica and eleven P. granatum accessions was performed using three molecular markers, i.e., sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP), target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP), and intron targeted amplified polymorphism (ITAP), along with analysis of pgWD40 sequences, a gene involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. All markers revealed the relationship between the two species and placed them at 33% similarity. SRAP, TRAP, and ITAP generated a total of 299, 260, and 160 bands, respectively. Of these, 78, 74, and 41 bands were specific for P. protopunica, and 92, 85, and 57 bands, respectively, were shared between both species. Sequence analysis of pgWD40~870 bp amplicons exhibited 100% identity among P. granatum accessions and 98% identity to that of P. protopunica. Phylogenetic analysis of WD40 sequences from monocot and dicot species, including both Punica species confirmed the relation between P. protopunica and P. granatum, supporting earlier reports that P. protopunica could be an ancestral species of P. granatum. Furthermore, the genetic diversity among and within P. granatum accessions from Egypt (3), Mexico (5), and Yemen (3) was assessed. Molecular marker-based relationships among region-bulked accessions was approximately the same (~90% similarity), whereas the degree of genetic variation was altered within each region. Specific bands (alleles) for accessions of each region along with those shared among them were identified. Thus, these bands could be used for pomegranate genotyping and breeding programs.     

Genetic relationship of diploid wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum</Emphasis> spp.) species assessed by SSR markers

Genetic diversity of 139 accessions of diploid Triticum species including Triticum urartu, Triticum boeoticum and Triticum monococcum was studied using 11 SSR (simple sequence repeats) markers. A total of 111 alleles with an average of 10 alleles per locus were detected. The polymorphism information content (PIC) of each SSR marker ranged from 0.30 to 0.90 with an average value of 0.62. Among the three Triticum species T. urartu had the highest number of total alleles (Na?=?81), private alleles (Npa?=?15) and showed higher genetic diversity (Hex?=?0.58; PIC?=?0.54). The genotypes from Turkey exhibited the highest genetic diversity (PIC?=?0.6), while the least diversity was observed among 4 Georgian accessions (PIC?=?0.11). Cluster analysis was able to distinguish 139 wheat accessions at the species level. The highest genetic similarity (GS) was noted between T. boeticum and T. monococcum (GS?=?0.84), and the lowest between T. urartu and T. monococcum (GS?=?0.46). The grouping pattern of the PCoA analysis corresponded with cluster analysis. No significant differences were found in clustering of T. urartu and T. monococcum accessions with respect to their geographic regions, while within T. boeoticum species, accessions from Iran were somewhat associated with their geographical origin and clustered as a close and separate group. The results from our study demonstrated that SSR markers were good enough for further genetic diversity analysis in einkorn wheat species.     

Diversity analysis and evaluation of wild <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abelmoschus</Emphasis> species for agro-morphological traits and major biotic stresses under the north western agro-climatic condition of India

The wild species in general is considered to be the reservoir of genes especially for biotic and abiotic stresses. In okra, the predominant biotic stresses are yellow vein mosaic disease (YVMD), shoot and fruit borer and leaf hopper. Sixty eight (68) accessions belonging to four wild Abelmoschus species [Abelmoschus caillei (A. Chev.) Stevels, Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik., Abelmoschus moschatus (L.) Medik. and Abelmoschus tuberculatus Pal et Singh] and eight okra varieties were characterized and evaluated for phenological characters including biotic stresses under natural epiphytotic condition. The wild species examined consisted of 18 accessions (16 exotic and 2 indigenous) of A. caillei, 29 accessions of A. manihot, 16 accessions of A. moschatus and 5 accessions of A. tuberculatus. All the wild Abelmoschus species exhibited high diversity (as measured by Shannon Diversity Index) for 3 qualitative characters viz. intensity of stem colour, leaf shape, epicalyx shape, 13 quantitative characters and 3 biotic stress parameters. Among the wild species, A. caillei and A. tuberculatus showed maximum and minimum diversity for qualitative characters, respectively. There was significant variation for 19 out of 24 quantitative characters studied. Inter-species diversity pattern as estimated through Ward’s Minimum Variance Dendrogram and Principal Component Analysis revealed clear differentiation among the species with minimum overlapping indicating close association between geographical origins and clustering pattern. Intra-species diversity indicated role of specific adaptation in sub-clustering. Resistance to YVMD was found in accessions belonging to three wild species viz. A. caillei, A. manihot and A. moschatus while resistance to shoot and fruit borer and leaf hopper was found in accessions of all the four wild species. The resistant accessions can further be used for introgressing biotic stress resistance through pre-breeding into cultivated okra species.     

Identification of resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis> Genn. in closely related wild relatives of cultivated tomato based on trichome type analysis and choice and no-choice assays

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Genn., is a major pest of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and other crops throughout the tropics and subtropics. The objectives of this study were to characterize 255 accessions of S. galapagense, S. cheesmaniae and S. pimpinellifolium for trichome types, and to evaluate selected accessions with high densities of glandular trichomes for resistance to whitefly. Twenty-two accessions classified as either sparse or abundant for type IV trichomes were selected and evaluated for numbers of adults, eggs, nymphs, and puparium of whitefly in choice bioassays, for adult mortality and egg numbers in no-choice bioassays, and for densities of type I, IV, V, and VI trichomes. The highest whitefly resistance was detected in S. galapagense accessions VI063177 and VI037239 based on choice and no-choice bioassays. In addition, we found high levels of whitefly resistance in S. cheesmaniae accession VI037240 based on the choice bioassay and in S. pimpinellifolium accession VI030462 based on the no-choice bioassay. Whitefly resistance in VI037240 and VI030462 is noteworthy because these species are closely related to cultivated tomato and introgression of whitefly resistance should be relatively straightforward. High densities of type IV trichomes and low densities of type V trichomes were associated with reduced numbers of whitefly adults, nymphs, puparium, and eggs in the choice bioassay and with high adult whitefly mortality in the no-choice bioassay. Preliminary trichome analysis followed by choice and no-choice assays facilitated rapid identification of whitefly-resistant accessions from a large pool of candidates of different species.     

A new taxonomic treatment for some wild relatives of mungbean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna radiata</Emphasis> (L.) Wilcz.) based on their molecular phylogenetic relationships and morphological variations

Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilcz.) is an important leguminous crop cultivated mainly in Asia. Its wild relatives are considered useful genetic resources for mungbean breeding. However, the taxonomic history of mungbean and its wild relatives is complicated and some confusion is still present in recent publications. In this study, we examined the rDNA-ITS sequences and morphological characteristics of 83 gene bank accessions closely related to mungbean. As a result, we classified the 83 accessions into five species and one unclassified accession. The proper taxon name for each species was determined (Vigna grandiflora (Prain) Tateishi et Maxted, Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper, V. radiata, Vigna subramaniana (Babu ex Raizada) Raizada, and Vigna trinervia (Heyne ex Wight et Arn.) Tateishi et Maxted) based on a review of their taxonomic history and morphological comparisons between gene bank accessions and type specimens. A new taxonomic treatment is proposed and a morphological key has been prepared. In this treatment, Vigna radiata (L.) Wilcz. var. setulosa (Dalz.) Ohwi et Ohashi is treated as a synonym of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilcz. var. sublobata (Roxb.) Verdc., and Vigna hainiana Babu, Gopinathan et Sharma is a synonym of V. subramaniana. Accession ‘NI1135’ was revealed to be most closely related to, but is considerably differentiated from, mungbean (V. radiata) based on its rDNA-ITS sequences. It also has distinguishing morphological characters. Plants with similar morphologies and DNA profiles might be distributed in the Indian Himalaya. However, since only one accession is available at present, the taxonomic classification of ‘NI1135’ needs to be reconsidered in the future.     

Genetic diversity in tolerance of wild <Emphasis Type="Italic">Avena</Emphasis> species to aluminium (Al)

An evaluation of diversity of aluminium (Al) tolerance of 180 genebank accessions of diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid of wild Avena species from the world collection of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) showed that the accessions with a high degree of aluminium tolerance belonged to the diploids A. canariensis, A. longiglumis and A. wiestii, the tetraploids A. barbata, A. vaviloviana, and hexaploids A. ludoviciana and A. sterilis. A comparison of the data on Al tolerance with the soil conditions demonstrated that most highly tolerance accessions tend to be collected on different type of soils. According to the results of the principal component analysis, preliminary screening for Al tolerance can be carried out among hexaploid species with higher degree of plant resistance to pathogens.     

DNA-based diversity of tea plants grown in Italy

The only tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] cultivation in Italy is located in Lucca (a city in Tuscany region). The major part of the plants of this cultivation derive from the seeds of a common mother plant, still present at the Lucca Botanical Garden, of unknown origin. A specimen imported from Kyoto, Japan, has generated, through cuttings, other plants that form a separate plot. In this study, 66 tea cultivars belonging to the germplasm collection of the China National Germplasm Tea Repository in the TRICAAS located at Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, and 17 accessions from the Italian cultivation were studied by means of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The aim of the study was to determine the genetic relatedness between these accessions, in order to find the possible origin of the Italian tea. In total 83 tea accessions were analysed using 63 SSRs selected from 15 different linkage groups of the tea plant. The results revealed a close correlation between the 16 accessions from seeds and the Chinese tea cultivars belonging to the sinensis variety. In particular, these samples showed a close genetic relationship to the cultivars of the Zhejiang Provinces. The specimen imported from Kyoto, on the other hand, probably belongs to the assamica variety.     

Genetic diversity in populations of the medicinal plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leonurus cardiaca</Emphasis> L. revealed by inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.) is a medicinal plant indigenous to the Mediterranean regions in Europe and Asia. The objective of this study is to apply inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers to assess the molecular variation and genetic relationships of 89 genotypes of motherwort to assist the genetic improvement of this species. The genotypes comprised 79 from Iran and 10 collected in Australia and 15 additional accessions of two related species (L. heterophyllus Sweet and L. sibiricus L.) collected in Australia, were also included. PCR of 7 iPBS primers (dominant markers) produced a total of 191 bands ranging from 180 to 4000 bp and the mean PIC for primers ranged from 0.2213 to 0.3206 with a mean value 0.2921. The mean expected heterozygosity (0.134), the mean unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.140) and Shannon’s information index (0.213) indicated a high level of inbreeding among the accessions tested. Ordination and cluster analysis showed that the genetic relationships among all accessions could be separated into three major groups—L. cardiaca, L. heterophyllus and L. sibiricus. However, among the 89 accessions of L. cardiaca, genotypes collected from the same geographic region tended to cluster together thus indicating greater genetic similarity. The Motherwort accessions originating in Iran are highly divergent and possess abundant genetic diversity and clearly provide a basis for selection and breeding. The iPBS PCR-based genome fingerprinting technology used in this study is low-cost and effective in differentiating accessions of motherwort and their related species.     

Investigation and evaluation of wild <Emphasis Type="Italic">Iris</Emphasis> resources in Liaoning Province,China

There were 15 species and two variants of wild Iris recorded in Liaoning Province, where is a primary distribution area of Iris in China. According to the division of distribution area for wild plants in Liaoning, twenty-eight sites were selected for investigating wild Iris resources in Liaoning. Distribution, habitat and main accompanying plants of each Iris species were recorded. Fifty-three accessions were collected during the investigation and introduced to suitable environment. Morphological characteristics of each accession were observed. According to previous literatures and specimens, all accessions were identified and classified into 12 species and two variants. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to perform a comprehensive assessment on the ornamental value of 11 Iris species. The results showed that Iris tigridia Bunge and Iris ensata Thunb. had better ornamental value than the other species. Some suggestions for revision and classification were discussed on several Iris species.     

Oil concentration and fatty-acid profile of naturalized <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helianthus annuus</Emphasis> populations from Australia

Although wild annual sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is indigenous to North America, it has been both inadvertently and intentionally introduced into other countries, such as Australia, where it has become naturalized. Prior to this research, there were no collections of naturalized H. annuus from Australia in the USDA National Plant Germplasm System gene bank. The possibility exists that naturalized Australian populations may contain distinct traits, such as oil content and fatty-acid composition, differing from their North American progenitors due to the different environments, diseases, and insect-pest complexes. The objective of this study was to collect naturalized H. annuus populations from the five states of Australia and to analyze them for oil content and fatty-acid composition. Fifty-six populations were collected throughout the broad distributional range of this species and then analyzed for oil content and fatty-acid composition. The mean oil content of the H. annuus populations was 28%, ranging from a low of 19% to a high of 31%, similar to populations of this species in its native North American habitats. Fatty-acid profiles were also similar for North American wild populations, Australian naturalized populations, and improved cultivars. Oil concentration of hybrids can be rapidly increased to acceptable levels by backcrossing with cultivated sunflower. Based on this fact, there should be little concern about the relatively low oil content of these naturalized populations when they are used as a source of other unique traits for cultivated sunflower improvement.     

Morphological and molecular characterization revealed high species level diversity among cultivated,introduced and wild roses (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosa</Emphasis> sp.) of western Himalayan region

High level of genetic diversity and morphological variations were observed among and within the different Rosa species studied. The key traits which differentiated the species were nature of plant, habit, shape of prickles, shape of stipules, leaflet shape, type of leaf margin, vestiture of ventral side of leaflet and flower shape, whereas, traits for distinguishing the accessions within a species (as in case of accessions from western Himalayan region) were flower colour, petal number, shape of hip and hip colour. Some of the accessions from western Himalayan region formed out-groups (IHBT-WR-18, IHBT-WR-21, IHBT-WR-31and IHBT-WR-43B) and could not be classified at the species level. High degree of variations among the accessions of R. multiflora group as compared to variations among the accessions of R. moschata, R. brunonii and R. cathayensis, suggests high level of out-breeding in R. multiflora which may contribute to further variations. Desirable variations were observed for flower colour, petal number, lack of prickles, perpetual flowering, large flower diameter and large fruit size which contribute significantly to diversity of the roses and have potential use in breeding programs.     

Genetic diversity of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coffea</Emphasis> Germplasm Collection assessed by RAPD markers

Genetic diversity and relationships within and among nine species of Coffea, one species of Psilanthus and the Piatã hybrid from the Coffee Germplasm Collection of Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC), Brazil were assessed using RAPD markers. Genetic diversity and relationships were evaluated by proportion of polymorphic loci (P), Shannon’s genetic index (H′ and G′_ST) and clustering analysis. The overall RAPD variation among all accessions was mostly partitioned between rather than within species. However, C. canephora and C. liberica showed a high genetic diversity within the species (\({\underline{\hbox{H}'}} \) _sp = 0.414 and \({\underline{\hbox{H}'}} \) _sp = 0.380, respectively) and this was highly structured (high \({\underline{\hbox{G}'}} \) _ST). Genetic diversity from C. congensis and C. arabica was also structured, but with lower levels of genetic diversity (\({\underline{\hbox{H}'}} \) _sp = 0.218 and \({\underline{\hbox{H}'}} \) _sp = 0.126, respectively). The results were consistent with agronomic and molecular studies and demonstrated that the IAC Coffea Collection is representative of the phylogenetic structure observed in the genera. This study devises sampling strategies for coffee germplasm collections and provides genetic diversity parameters for future comparisons among them.     

Diversity of the composition and content of soluble carbohydrates in seeds of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia</Emphasis> (Leguminosae)

Low molecular weight carbohydrates of seeds of 10 species of Vicia, namely: V. angustifolia, V. articulata, V. cordata, V. ervilia, V. johannis, V. macrocarpa, V. monantha, V. narbonensis, V. pannonica and V. sativa were analyzed by the high resolution gas chromatography method. Seeds of the investigated species contain common (glucose, fructose, myo-inositol, sucrose, galactinol, di-galactosyl myo-inositol and raffinose family oligosaccharides—RFOs) and species-specific carbohydrates (d-pinitol and its α-d-galactosides—in V. articulata, V. monantha and V. pannonica or d-ononitol and its galactoside—in V. ervilia). Among the species containing in seeds RFOs as the main α-d-galactosides (V. angustifolia, V. cordata, V. johanensis, V. macrocarpa, V. narbonensis and V. sativa), an additional subgroup can be separated, which contains a set of unknown compounds (found in V. angustifolia, V. cordata and V. macrocarpa). Moreover, several other unidentified carbohydrate-containing compounds were detected exclusively in seeds of V. ervilia. The concentrations of total soluble carbohydrates (TSCs), including sugars, RFOs, cyclitols and galactosyl cyclitols and unknown compounds, in seeds differ significantly (P < 0.05) among the species. RFOs and sucrose are the main fractions in TSCs, with the exception of V. pannonica seeds, containing more galactosyl pinitols, and V. ervilia, in which unknown compounds account for 50% of TSCs. In V. ervilia RFOs occur at the lowest concentration (9.32 mg g^?1 seeds), and the concentration of DGMI (di-galactosyl myo-inositol) is comparable with that of RFOs, which is unusual among all the investigated Vicia species.