Numerical chemotaxonomy in the genus Secale

Abstract

Thin-layer chromatographic patterns of fluorescent compounds in young leaves of 11 species of the genus Secale and similarity indices supported the general taxonomic relationships of the species based on morphological and cytological studies. Thus S. silvestre had a distinct chromatogram of its own; S. cereale, S. dighoricum, S. segetale were all grouped together, while the rest of the wild species, i.e. S. montanum, S. africanum, S. dalmaticum, S. kuprijanovii were more closely related to each other than to the rest of the species. S. vavilovii was distinguished by the presence of four compounds not present in any other species. The differences in the chromatographic patterns of the Cerealia and Kuprijanovia sections were sufficient to maintain these as separate sections, which is in agreement with earlier studies. Two of the species used in this study, designated S. fragile and S. anatolicum, seem to have been incorrectly identified.