BIOCHEMICAL AND CYTOLOGICAL ANALYSES IN NATURAL-POPULATIONS OF VICIA-BENGHALENSIS L - EVIDENCE FOR 2 DISTINCT GROUPS

27 accessions of Vicia benghalensis from different geographical origin s constitute the pool on which the present study was performed. Geneti c variation among the samples was biochemically and cytologically eval uated: seed storage protein profiles and C-banded karyotypes were anal ysed from single individuals of each accession. SDS-PAGE has shown the possibility to divide the samples into two groups, each characterized by specific protein profiles. The two patterns were indicated as A an d B. From individual seed electrophoresis it was ascertained that samp les possessing the pattern A showed a low level of individual variatio n, while those possessing the pattern B were highly polymorphic, thus suggesting differences in the allogamic rate. The cytological analysis demonstrated the presence of two groups of accessions, one being much richer in heterochromatin as evidenced by C-banding (H+) than the oth er (H-). The analysis of biochemical and karyological data showed a co nstant association between pattern A and karyotype H- and between patt ern B and karyotype H+. On the basis of these results it is proposed t o consider V. benghalensis as a highly heteromorphic species, in which two groups may be identified.