Glycine tabacina, a wild perennial relative of soybean, comprises a widespread polyploid complex in Australia and islands of the Pacific Ocean. Data from a single-copy nuclear locus, histone H3-D, confirm the existence of two polyploid races. Plants of one of these (AAB′B′) are nonstoloniferous and have linear leaflets. One of the genomes of this race is that of an A-genome diploid, identified by the histone data most closely with a race of G. tomentella. Its other genome (B′B′) was donated by a nonstoloniferous diploid species that is sister to all of the remaining B-genome species, which are stoloniferous. Plants of the second race of polyploid G. tabacina (BBB′B′) are stoloniferous, have ovate leaflets, and combine a B′ genome with a genome of the core B-genome diploid group. The likely source of the shared B′ genome is a species previously referred to as G. sp. aff tabacina, that is here formally named Glycine stenophita.

Communicating Editor: Alan Whittemore