Intergeneric crosses between Hordeum and North American Elymus (Poaceae, Triticeae)

Intergeneric hybridizations were undertaken between Hordeum and Elymus order to investigate crossability and genomic affinity between the two genera. The hybridizations were easily performed and two-thirds of the attempts gave hybrid plants. The meiotic behaviour in seven hybrids was analyzed, six of which have not been reported before. The results indicate that one of the genomes in the tetraploid (2n=28) Elymus species, i.e., E. glaucus, E. hystrix, E. multisetus, E. villosus, and E. virginicus, is homoeologous with the two genomes found in the letraploid (2n=28) Hordeum species, i.e., H. brachyantherum, H. depressum, H. jubatum and H. secalinum. There were no notable differences in meiotic behavior between the different combinations. The diploid (2n—14) H. marinum seems to nsve a distinct genome, absent in the Elymus species.