Untitled

40
3. MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION...
Wilks statistics close to 1.00 suggested that species separation was rather impossible on
the basis of flag leaf width, spike length and basal leaf area (Table 3.1). The distinction of
L. multiflorum and L. perenne based on cultivars and ecotypes was much easier and could be
done with help of 2 discriminant variables (variable 1 and 2) that explained 96% of observed
variation. The most important characters, besides the 1 st ear emergence included seedling
leaf and recovery after winter (Table 3.2). Moderate discriminant values were also revealed
by flag leaf width, basal leaf area and height at ear emergence. Dry, green weight and spike
length appeared to be fairly minor characters (lambda Wilks close to 1.00). By contrary, all
23 populations were found to differ from each other in nine discriminant variables that explained
95% of observed variation. Most of analysed characters showed high discriminant
value with lambda Wilks statistics of 0.19 to 0.36 (Table 3.3). The highest discriminant values
were shown by seedling leaf and height at ear emergence while the lowest significant value
(0.411) was observed for flag leaf length. But still it was almost twice as high as for species.
Interestingly, there was not possible to distinguish all analysed populations on the basis of
plant weight (green and dry).
3.3.2. Comparison of L. multiflorum and L. perenne
Analysis of variance indicated that species effect was not significant at P=0.05 for about
60% of studied characters (Table 3.4). However, the UPOV (1991) recommends standards
for “Distinctiveness” in testing of ryegrasses at P level equivalent to 0.01. Using the P=0.01
standard, L. multiflorum and L. perenne were not distinct in 76% of characters. Examination
of mean values for each species showed that they were very alike for about 35% characters
including these used in taxonomic classification such as basal and flag leaf length, spikelet
length and floret number (Table 3.5).
The significant differences between species means were found for eight (40%) studied
characters at P=0.05. When P=0.01 was taken, the differences were found for four characters
(24%) including flag leaf width and area, recovery after winter and the 1 st year ear
emergence (Table 3.5). As expected, the greatest separation between L. multiflorum and
L. perenne was observed in the 1 st year ear emergence and recovery after winter. In the first
year of cultivation ear emergence was observed in 42% of Italian ryegrass plants. On opposite,
L. perenne did not flower during the sowing year with exception of several plants from
New Zealand ecotype (Table 3.5). In the second year of cultivation surprisingly high number
of L. multiflorum plants survived and reached full maturity (36%), however almost double the