SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES OF THE GENUS AEGILOPS L. GROWING IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

The article examines the distribution of species of the genus Aegilops L. (family Poaceae Barnh.) within the territory of Kazakhstan. Five species of this genus have been identified in Kazakhstan: Ae. cylindrica Host., Ae. crassa Boiss., Ae. tauschii Coss., Ae. triuncialis L., and Ae. juvenalis (Thell.) Eig., which primarily occur in the southern and southeastern regions of the country.

To determine the distribution range of Aegilops species, an analysis of herbarium specimens was conducted from the collections of the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction (AA), the digital herbarium “Noah’s Ark” of the Living Systems Depository at Lomonosov Moscow State University (MW), as well as herbarium materials collected during scientific expeditions of the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (IBBI). Based on this analysis, a checklist of Aegilops species was compiled. The study revealed that the majority of the 165 examined herbarium sheets belonged to the species Ae. cylindrica, Ae. triuncialis, and Ae. tauschii.

According to the floristic zoning of Kazakhstan presented in the first volume of Flora of Kazakhstan (1956), the highest concentration of species was recorded in the floristic regions of the Western Tien-Shan, Karatau, and Dzungarian Alatau. Nearly all five Aegilops species are found in the Western Tien-Shan floristic region, whereas Ae. cylindrica was recorded in all studied floristic regions. Analysis of herbarium materials along with literature sources showed that among the five species occurring in Kazakhstan, the distribution range of Ae. juvenalis is limited. This situation highlights the need to clarify the current habitats of this species in Kazakhstan.

The results of this study enable the identification of Aegilops species occurring in Kazakhstan, refine their distribution ranges, and assist in planning field research. Furthermore, since this genus is considered a wild relative of cultivated wheat, the obtained data provide an important foundation for botanical and molecular-genetic studies.

Keywords: Poaceae, Aegilops, herbarium, species distribution, floristic areas