The Inflorescence Papillae of the Triticeae: a New Tool for Taxonomic and Archaeological Research

The diameter of silicified inflorescence papillae and the numberof pits in the base of the papilla of 45 accessions from thegenera Hordeum, Triticum and Aegilops, were recorded using lightand scanning electron microscopy. There was a highly significantpositive correlation between pit number and papilla diameterwhen all the accessions were considered together, but therewas little correlation between these variables when each genuswas considered separately. Two wild Hordeum species were comparedwith the cultivated H. vulgare. Whilst H. murinum was very similarto H. vulgare, H. jubatum had a significantly larger numberof pits. Most, but not all, of the T. aestivum accessions investigatedhad greater papilla diameters than the H. vulgare accessions,and pit number was always greater in T. aestivum. Within thegenus Triticum pit number and papilla diameter increase as theploidy level increases from AA to AABB, and again from AABBto AABBDD. The implications of the results for taxonomic andarchaeological research are discussed.Copyright 1993, 1999 AcademicPress Hordeum, Triticum, Aegilops, inflorescence, papilla, lemma, glume, taxonomy, archaeology