Waxiness in Aegilops tauschii: Its occurrence in natural habitats of the species

A total 332 Aegilops tauschii accessions represented by 180 ssp. tauschii and 152 ssp. strangulata accessions from across the range of the species were studied. All ssp. tauschii plants were glossy. Plants with waxy spikes and leaf sheaths were found in 19 accessions belonging to ssp. strangulata. Waxy plants were mostly found in relatively warm and drier parts of ssp. strangulata area. About 0.03 of ssp. strangulata accessions from the Pre-Caspian regions had waxy plants, whereas among inland accessions of ssp. strangulata this ratio was 0.28. Accessions with waxy plants were not present in latitudes higher than 40°N; and in Pre-Caspian regions they were not found to the west from 51° longitude