Karyotypic diversity in Aegilops umbellulata collection of Iran

To evaluate the diversity of the collection of Aegilops umbellulata, cytogenetic characteristics of 96 accessions of the collection of Ae. umbellulata obtained from National Plant Gene Bank of Iran were studied by flow-cytometry and cytogenetic. Flow cytometry studies showed that ploidy level of the accessions were diploid. Cytogenetic studies, confirmed the results of flow cytometry. In other words the basic chromosome number of the accessions was X=7. Comparing the results of flow cytometry and karyotypic studies, direct relationship between DNA content and chromosome length was confirmed. The studied accessions contained symmetrical karyotypes with metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes. Satellites were also observed on all of the studied karyotypes. Average coefficient of variation of the accessions was 13.15. Therefore, karyotypic and flow cytometry studies revealed intra- population variation in the species. Thus, given the wide dispersal of Ae. umbellulata in Iran, diversity and evolutionary history of a species were shown in the country.