Genetic relationships among perennial and annual Cicer species growing in Turkey as revealed by allozymes

Allozyme polymorphisms were used to assess genetic variation and relationships among ten Cicer species (annuals and perennials) growing in Turkey. Using seven enzyme systems, 12 putative scorable loci were detected and surveyed for polymorphism in an accession collection including wild and cultivated forms. Variation was generally low within accessions and species, but common between species. Cluster analysis based on the pairwise genetic distance coefficients among accessions and species using UPGMA revealed two species clusters; one includes three perennials (C. montbretii, C. isauricum and C. anatolicum) and the other contains six annuals (C. pinnatifidum, C. bijugum, C. judaicum, C. echinospermum, C. reticulatum and C. arietinum) and one perennial species (C.incisum). Grouping obtained in allozyme analysis appears to be consistent with the classification these species into three sections. However, contrary to relationships obtained in previous studies, three perennial species from section Polycicer were relatively distant to the group containing annuals. One perennial species, C. incisum from section Chamaecicer, clustered with annuals showing a close similarity. The grouping of six annual species was consistent with the previous reports of relationships. The relationships deduced between perennials and annuals appear to shed light on the evolution of annual habit from perennial habit.