GENOME ANALYSIS OF EURASIAN ELYMUS-THOROLDIANUS, ELYMUS-MELANTHERUS, AND ELYMUS-KOKONORICUS (TRITICEAE, POACEAE)

Elymus thoroldianus (Oliver) C. Singh, E. melantherus (Keng) A. Love, and E. kokonoricus (Keng) A. Love are short-lived perennial grasses of the tribe Triticeae distributed throughout the upper and middle mount ain ranges of central Asia. Analyzer species used to produce interspec ific hybrids with the three target taxa were Pseudoroegneria spicata ( Pursh) A. Love (SS), E. lanceolatus (Scribn. & Smith) Gould (SSHH), Ps athyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski (NN), E. batalinii (Krasn) A. Lov e (SSYYPP), E. alatavicus (Drob.) Tzvelev (SSYYPP), E. grandiglumis (K eng)) A. Love (SSYYPP), and E. kengii (Tzvelev) A. Love (SSYYPP). Elym us thoro(dianus, E. melantherus, and E. kokonoricus are self-fertile a llohexaploids (2n = 42). Analysis of metaphase I pairing configuration s in the F-1 indicate that E. thoroldianus, E. melantherus, and E. kok onoricus possess the S, Y, and P genomes, with only minor structural r earrangements. Chromosome pairing in interspecific hybrids with the ta rget species and hexaploid accessions of E. batalinii. E. alatavicus, E. kengii, and E. grandiglumis supports the inclusion of E. thoroldian us, E. melantherus, and E. kokonoricus in the genus Elymus section Hya lolepis.