Meiosis in interspecific Hordeum hybrids. I. Diploid combinations

The meiotic pairing behaviour of 39 new interspecific combinations between diploid Hordeum species are reported. On the basis of this data, four "basic genomes" are probably present in the genus. Hordeum bulbosum and H. vulgare have the same genome (I); H. marinum ("X") and H. murinum ("Y") each have one distinct genome. All other diploid taxa have either the same or a somewhat modified form of genome H. In this latter group of diploids, the South American taxa together with H. pusillum and H. intercedens in North America constitue a homogeneous group with respect to genomic structure, which differs somewhat from that found in the other Asiatic and North American species. Hordeum roshevitzii from Central Asia is unique, showing high affinity to both the Asiatic and to the American taxa. Evidence suggesting genetic regulation of chromosome pairing (both pairing promoting and pairing reducing) was obtained from a number of the diploid hybrids.Key words: Hordeum, interspecific hybrids, meiosis, diploids.