Biomorphological assessment of oat (Avena L.) species distributed in Azerbaijan

Abstract

This article presents data on herbarium and seed materials, comprising 230 specimens that cover 72 routes of 10 species (A. eriantha Durieu, A. clauda Durieu, A. wiestii Steud., A. barbata Pott ex Link, A. hirtula Lag., A. bruhnsiana Grun., A. ventricosa Bal. ex Coss., A. trichophylla C. Koch, A. fatua L., A. ludoviciana Durieu) within the genus Avena L. These specimens were collected from various regions of Azerbaijan during the period of 2019–2023. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the taxonomic, morphological, and ecological-geographical characteristics of Oat species (Avena L.) distributed in Azerbaijan. Through an examination of biomorphological variability and ecological characterization, it was revealed that these 10 species are distributed across diverse regions of Azerbaijan, each adapting to different ecological conditions. These species are predominantly found in the Greater Caucasus, Lesser Caucasus, Kura-Araz, Nakhchivan, and Lankaran-Astara botanical-geographical regions. The distribution of these species is mainly observed along roadsides, crops, grasslands, and coastal sand dunes. The Oat (Avena L.) species distributed in Azerbaijan have been subjected to biomorphological evaluation, considering 29 quantitative and 16 qualitative characteristics. Geographical longitude, geographical latitude, altitude above sea level, in-situ plant conditions, and phytocenological characteristics of the growing area of the plant species are indicated. The cluster analysis of morphological characters revealed that the species within the genus could be classified into two main groups.