AVENA CANARIENSIS: MORPHOLOGICAL AND ELECTROPHORETIC POLYMORPHISM AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE A. MAGNA–A. MURPHYI COMPLEX AND A. STERILIS

Abstract

Avena canariensis, a recently discovered oat species from Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, has distinctive ecotypes, is polymorphic in morphological traits and in protein and esterase patterns forming clinal areas within the elevation gradient on the island. A comparison of leaf esterase patterns with that of other species provides evidence favoring A. canariensis as donor of the A genome in the A. magna–A. murphyi–A. sterilis evolutionary cluster.