Further Studies on Phylogenetic Relationships in <i>Secale</i>: On the Origin of its Species

Abstract

Abstract Fourteen isozymatk loci have been analyzed in 23 samples of populations belonging to genus Secale by starch gel electrophoresis. The allelic frequencies for these loci have also been estimated and used in calculating genetic identity values between populations. Isozymatic data agree with the hypothesis that there are four species in the genus Secale: S. cereale, S. montanum, S. silvestre , and S. vavilovii. The characteristics of growth and outbreeding habits, and the isozymatic variability along with the previously known cytogenetic data, maintain S. montanum as the probable ancestor of the other three species: two are self‐pollinated and monomorphic for isozymes ( S. silvestre and S. vavilovii ) and the other is open‐pollinated and variable (S. cereale) and dearly distinguishable by its genetic variability from the other two. Finally, from isozymatic data it is not possible to distinguish between populations belonging to S. montanum and populations, belonging to. S. cereale.