Gh. Schmelzer et Jf. Renno, Genotypic variation in progeny of the agamic grass complex Pennisetum section Brevivalvula in West Africa, PLANT SYS E, 215(1-4), 1999, pp. 71-83
The genotypic variation of 1180 progeny from 118 genitors belonging to five
taxa of Pennisetum sect. Brevivalvula has been estimated by isoenzyme elec
trophoresis with observations on five enzymatic systems, in order to compar
e the type of reproduction in polyploid and diploid taxa. A total of 112 di
fferent isozyme genotypes has been found, over all taxa. Genotypic variatio
n was found among all progeny of the diploid populations of P. polystachion
and P. subangustum, as a consequence of their sexual reproduction system.
At the polyploid level the type of reproduction appears to be predominantly
agamic, but genotypic variation in the progeny was not rare: five tetraplo
id and one hexaploid P. pedicellatum, one pentaploid and one hexaploid P. p
olystachion and one hexaploid P. hordeoides, in a total of 90 genitors. Gen
etic relationships have been observed between the diploid sexual P. polysta
chion and P. subangustum, and, to a lesser extent, with the tetraploids of
the same taxa as well. Tetraploid P. polystachion and P. pedicellatum share
genotypes with most other chromosomal taxa.