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Centipedegrass—Diversity and Vulnerability
Author(s) -
Hanna Wayne W.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1995.0011183x003500020007x
Subject(s) - biology , germplasm , population , genetic diversity , china , mating , botany , agronomy , ecology , geography , demography , archaeology , sociology
The genus Eremochloa consists of eight species of which only centipedegrass [ E. ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.] is cultivated for turf. In the USA, the genetic base for this species is narrow because most of the Centipedegrass grown originates from a single accession introduced as seed from China as a result of a plant exploration trip by Frank Meyer in 1916. Introduction of Centipedegrass from the area of origin, central to southern China, has been limited and sporadic. Morphological variation has been increased in this species by irradiating seed with gamma radiation and by developing a random mating population among 31 foreign introductions and 24 domestic selections. A systematic germplasm collecting expedition in the area of origin is needed for this species.