Genotypic variation in progeny of the agamic grass complex Pennisetum section Brevivalvula in West Africa

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.