CYTOLOGY AND MORPHOLOGY OF ELYMUS-HOFFMANNI (POACEAE, TRITICEAE) - A NEW SPECIES FROM THE ERZURUM PROVINCE OF TURKEY

Cytological and morphological characteristics of a proposed new specie s, Elymus hoffmanni Jensen & Asay, are described. This species is cyto logically stable and is genomically similar to Elymus repens (L.) Goul d (SSSSHH) (= Agropyron repens [L.] P. Beauv. and Elytrigia repens [L. ] Nevski) and the cultivar NewHy (SSSSHH), but morphologically differe nt from E. repens. Elymus hoffmanni has longer leaves, shorter awns on the glumes, and less rhizome development, and it is taller than the c ultivar NewHy. Elymus hoffmanni was crossed with E. repens and the cul tivar NewHy hybrid wheatgrass (2n = 6x = 42). A natural hybrid between E. hoffmanni and the cultivar Hycrest crested wheatgrass (2n = 4x = 2 8, PPPP) was identified from open-pollinated progeny of E. hoffmanni. Meiosis of E. hoffmanni was characterized as an autoallohexaploids wit h a mean chromosome association of 1.63 I + 17.87 II + 0.35 III + 0.67 IV + 0.04 V per cell. Mean chromosome associations were 1.88 I + 19.1 2 II + 0.16 III 0.46 + IV per sell in the hybrids of E. repens X E. ho ffmanni, 1.63 I + 19.43 II + 0.22 III + 0.31 IV + 0.01 V per cell in N ewHy X E. hoffmanni hybrids, and 9.22 I + 12.74 II + 0.40 III + 0.02 I V in E. hoffmanni X Hycrest hybrids. Based on chromosome pairing in hy brids with E. repens and NewHy and its morphological uniqueness from E . repens, we propose E. hoffmanni as a new species originating from a primitive hybrid between E. repens and the bluebunch wheatgrasses (Pse udoroegneria spp.) of Turkey.