Abstract:A total of 27 populations of Arrhenatherum elatius collected from Europe and Mediterranean area were sampled and scored for electrophoretic variation at 3 loci.The level of genetic diversity was high in A. elatius and its four subspecies (He:0.3250.533). The total gene diversity in each subspecies was mainly maintained within populations.There were high gene flow estimates among populations (G(ST):0.035-0.1459). The tetraploid subspecies exhibited higher diversity than diploid subspecies. The result of UPGMA on Net's standard genetic distance showed that the tetraploid form was derived from the bulbiferous diploid plants.
