Recurrent formation of tetraploid Avena barbata from diploid Avena ancestors

This project seeks to identify the maternal diploid ancestor(s) of tetraploid A. barbata. Formation of A. barbata appears to be recurrent (ie polyphyletic), with at least three different polyploidy involving different diploid lineages contributing to the gene pool of A. barbata. Many accessions identified in collections as A. barbata were found to be mislabelled. Exploring these mislabelled accessions suggests the existence of a previously un-identified tetraploid Avena species with a distinct genome from A. barbata.