Evidence for domestication of Lens nigricans (M.Bieb.) Godron in S Europe

Evidence for domestication of Lens nigricans (M.Bieb.) Godron in S Europe. Small disjunct populations of the wild lentil Lens nigricans were found in secondary and man‐made habitats throughout S Europe. Much larger populations of this species were found in primary habitats in SE Spain, S Italy and along the Adriatic coast of Yugoslavia. The majority of the L. nigricans populations were cytogenetically alike. One population differed from them by one reciprocal translocation, and another two by four chromosomal rearrangements. The L. nigricans accessions from S Europe were invariably cross‐incompatible with L. nigricans of the Middle‐East and with the cultivated lentil L. culinaris. The latter two were cross‐compatible and their hybrids partially fertile. The existence of small L. nigricans populations in man‐made habitats was interpreted as escapes from cultivation. Being cross‐incompatible with L. culinaris these L. nigricans populations apparently were derived from a domesticated form of L. nigricans.