Efron, Y., Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel
Peleg, M., Kibbutz Usha, Israel
Ashri, A., Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel

The ADH allozyme pattern was tested in seeds of 1553 varieties of the world collection of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and 36 collections belonging to 14 wild species of the genus Carthamus L. with different chromosome numbers (n=10, 11, 12, 22, and 32). Two genes, Adh1 and Adh2, have been identified. The Adh1 locus controls the allozyme bands found in the faster-moving anodal zone, and the Adh2 gene controls the cathodal band. A third group of bands which migrates slowly toward the anode and stains weakly is probably interaction products of the two genes. Two codominant alleles Adh1 S and Adh1 F, specifying allozymes with different migration rates in the fast-moving anodal zone, were found in cultivated safflower. The frequency of the Adh1 F allele was very low. A third homologous allele, Adh1 T, was present only in the polyploid wild species. The Adh2 was stable, without any variation in migration rate. In addition to the variation in migration rates, there was also variation in activity levels of the products of both the Adh1 and Adh2 genes. The contribution of this study to our understanding of the origin of the polyploid species C. lanatus, C. baeticus, and C. turkestanicus is discussed. © 1973 Plenum Publishing Corporation.