Paspalum dilatatum is a plant species of high forage value with a wide range of biotypes, with sexual and apomictic types. Purple-anthered and Torres biotypes are described as apomictic based only on cytological analysis of embrionary sac. The present research aimed at analyzing the occurrence of variability among sib seedlings and endosperms of these biotypes through gel electrophoresis. Enzymatic systems of GOT, IDH, ME, PGM, and SOD were not informative because they did not show intra-specific or intra-biotype polymorphism. AMY revealed large isoenzymatic variation among endosperms from the same strain but without variation among sib seedlings. This could suggest occurrence of pseudogamy. However, for MDH and PER, the occurrence of variability among sib seedlings was observed, which can be indicative of genic segregation and suggests the occurrence of sexual reproduction.
Paspalum dilatatum; apomixis; isoenzymes; progeny tests
