Abyssnian pea (Lathyrus schaeferi Kosterin pro Pisum abyssinicum A. Br.) – a problematic taxon

• Published in: Acta Biologica Sibirica
• Main Author: O. E. Kosterin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Altai State University 2017
• Subjects: Pisum abyssinicum; Pisum sativum; Pisum fulvum; Lathyrus schaeferi; pea; taxonomy; biological species concept; phylogenetic species concept; hybridogenic species; reciprocal translocations; conflict of nucleus and cytoplasm; Biology (General); QH301-705.5; Sibirica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.14258/abs.v3i3.3621; https://doaj.org/article/079d1262b6bd46d28fc953ef03fdd8c9

This is an English translation of a paper published in Russian (but with proper Latin formulations at taxonomical novelties to make them validly published) on March 15, 2017 in Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Vol. 22 (2): 158-169. The Abyssinian pea (Pisum abyssinicum A. Br.), concerned in this review, is known from Ethiopia and Yemen, where it is cultivated along with the common pea (Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum). The continuously reproduced notion of its possible spontaneous occurrence in the wild ascends to suppositions made in the XIX century and is not based on any actual data. P. abyssinicum is of practical interest owing to its extra early ripening and resistance to bacterial blight. Morphologically it is very similar to P. sativum but its crossability with it is bad as either seed or pollen parent. Traditionally this reproductive barrier was associated with karyological differences. The Abyssinian pea karyotype is variable as 1–2 reciprocal translocations were reported. At the same time there are accessions not differing from the standard karyotype of P. sativum with respect to reciprocal translocations, yet their crossability with the latter is very low and the pollen fertility of F1 and F2 hybrids is lowered. Data were reported on influence of the region of Linkage Group III, containing a gene known to participate in the conflict of nucleus and plastids in remote crosses of peas, on the pollen fertility of hybrids with abyssinian pea. With their karyological variability, the known accessions of the Abyssinian pea are very close to each other genetically, as they diverged just about 4 000 years ago. The presence of alleles of molecular markers common with Pisum fulvum Sibth. et Smith on the one hand and with P. sativum L. subsp. elatius (Bieb.) Schmalh. on the other hand evidences in favour of an old hypotheses by L.I. Govorov that the Abyssinian pea originated from their spontaneous hybrid. This spontaneous cross may have taken place under cultivation, in Yemen or Afar Depression. A ...