Morphometry of lodicules in the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum</Emphasis> L.

Morphology of ripe lodicules in wheat taxonomic species was analyzed for all ploidy levels. From the initial set of sixteen characters, the best representatives and discriminants were selected. Length of main lobe and hairiness of this lobe as well as cushion appeared as the most stable selected characters. A non-metric multidimensional scaling procedure distinguished wheat diploids in the ordination space with Triticum urartu in a separate position. Other wheats, which were recognized as narrow endemics or hybrid recombinants, were seen as extremes in this space and they surround the centre with most of threshable taxa. Morphology of the lodicule differs between unthreshable and threshable wheats as well as between units having AABB and AAGG genomes. The development of hairs, lateral lobe and cushion is a factor creating main differences between lodicules of various taxa. Wheat species characterized by the best discriminants create in the space an original sphere of points described by correlation and regression parameters of three ordination axes. Large intra-specific variation of lodicule morphology is a source of flexibility of wheat breeding system.