Taxonomic study on the genus Eremopyrum (Ledeb.) Jaub. et Spach (Poaceae) in Turkey

In this study, we examined whether a satisfactory infrageneric grouping in Eremopyrum (Ledeb.) Jaub. & Spach can be achieved with the help of cluster analysis based on external vegetative and floral morphological characters of specimens either gathered from the field or borrowed from various herbaria. Twenty morphological characters were chosen and scored for 36 populations representing the genus. The data were subjected to numerical taxonomic analyses, and a phenogram was obtained by applying Gower general similarity index. The results of this study suggest that there are basically five species in Turkey, namely E. triticeum (Gaertner) Nevski, E. orientale (L.) Jaub. & Spach, E. distans (K. Koch) Nevski, E. bonaepartis (Sprengel) Nevski, and E. confusum Melderis. For the first time a new variety, E. bonaepartis (Sprengel) Nevski. var. aristatum Cabi & Dogan, is proposed along with two new combinations: E. bonaepartis (Sprengel) Nevski. var. sinaicum (Steudel) Cabi & Dogan and E. confusum Melderis var. sublanuginosum (Drob.) Cabi & Dogan. An account of Eremopyrum in Turkey is given, including a key to the species and varieties, and a general indication of their distribution.