MOLECULAR EVIDENCE THAT DIPLOID STYLOSANTHES HUMILIS AND DIPLOID STYLOSANTHES HAMATA ARE PROGENITORS OF ALLOTETRAPLOID STYLOSANTHES HAMATA CV VERANO

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, using peroxidase, O-methyltransferase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and coniferyl alcohol dehydrogenase cDNAs isolated from Stylosanthes humilis, as probes, provided molecular evidence for the genetic origin of the naturally occuring allotetraploid genotype Stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano (2n = 4x = 40). Hybridization patterns strongly suggest that the likely progenitors of S. harnata cv. Verano were a diploid S. humilis (2n = 2x = 20) and a diploid S. hamata (2n = 2x = 20) species.