A crop wild relative (CWR) is a wild plant closely related to a domesticated plant. It may be a wild ancestor of the domesticated (cultivated) plant or another closely related

taxon In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...

Overview

The wild relatives of crop plants constitute an increasingly important resource for improving agricultural production and for maintaining sustainable agro-ecosystems. Their natural selection in the wild accumulates a rich set of useful traits that can be introduced into crop plants by crossing. With the advent of anthropogenic climate change and greater ecosystem instability CWRs are likely to prove a critical resource in ensuring food security for the new millennium. It was Nikolai Vavilov, the Russian botanist who first realized the importance of crop wild relatives in the early 20th century. Genetic material from CWRs has been utilized by humans for thousands of years to improve the quality and yield of crops. Farmers have used traditional breeding methods for millennia, wild

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

(''Zea mexicana'') is routinely grown alongside maize to promote natural crossing and improve yields. More recently, plant breeders have utilised CWR genes to improve a wide range of crops like

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

(''Oryza sativa''),

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word , ...

(''Solanum lycopersicum'') and grain legumes. CWRs have contributed many useful genes to crop plants, and modern varieties of most major crops now contain genes from their wild relatives. Therefore, CWRs are wild plants related to socio-economically important species including food, fodder and forage crops,

medicinal plants Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including defense and protection ...

, condiments, ornamental, and forestry species, as well as plants used for industrial purposes, such as oils and fibres, and to which they can contribute beneficial traits. A CWR can be defined as "... a wild plant

that has an indirect use derived from its relatively close genetic relationship to a crop...”

Conservation of crop wild relatives

CWRs are essential components of natural and agricultural

ecosystems An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...

and hence are indispensable for maintaining ecosystem health. Their conservation and sustainable use is very important for improving agricultural production, increasing food security, and maintaining a healthy environment. The natural populations of many CWRs are increasingly at risk. They are threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

through the destruction and degradation of natural environment or their conversion to other uses. Deforestation is leading to the loss of many populations of important wild relatives of fruit, nut, and industrial crops. Populations of wild relatives of cereal crops that occur in arid or semi-arid lands are being severely reduced by over grazing and resulting desertification. The growing industrialization of agriculture is drastically reducing the occurrence of CWRs within the traditional agro-ecosystems. The wise conservation and use of CWRs are essential elements for increasing food security, eliminating poverty, and maintaining the environment. Conservation strategies for CWRs often consider both ''in situ'' and ''ex situ'' conservation. These are complementary approaches to CWR conservation, since each has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, whilst ''ex situ'' conservation protects CWR (or more correctly, their genes) from threats in the wild, it can limit

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

and adaptation to new environmental challenges. In 2016, 29% of wild relative plant species were completely missing from the world’s genebanks, with a further 24% represented by fewer than 10 samples. Over 70% of all crop wild relative species worldwide were in urgent need of further collecting to improve their representation in genebanks, and over 95% were insufficiently represented with regard to the full range of geographic and ecological variation in their native distributions. While the most critical priorities for further collecting were found in the Mediterranean and Near East, Western and Southern Europe, Southeast and East Asia, and South America, crop wild relatives insufficiently represented in genebanks are distributed across almost all countries worldwide.

Examples of wild relatives

Grains

* Oats (''Avena sativa'') – '' Avena byzantina'' * Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa'') – '' Chenopodium berlandieri'' * Finger Millet (''Eleusine coracana'') – '' Eleusine africana'' *

Barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley ...

(''Hordeum vulgare'') – '' Hordeum arizonicum'' and '' Hordeum spontaneum'' *

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

(''Oryza sativa'') – '' Oryza rufipogon'' * African Rice (''Oryza glaberrima'') – '' Oryza barthii'' * Pearl Millet (''Pennisetum glaucum'') – '' Pennisetum purpureum'' *

Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...

(''Secale cereale ''subsp. ''cereale'') – ''Secale cereale ''subsp. ''dighoricum'' *

Sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family ( Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many ot ...

(''Sorghum bicolor'') – '' Sorghum arundinaceum'' and ''

Sorghum halepense Johnson grass or Johnsongrass, ''Sorghum halepense'', is a plant in the grass family, Poaceae, native to Asia and northern Africa. The plant has been introduced to all continents except Antarctica, and most larger islands and archipelagos. It re ...

'' * Broom millet (''Panicum miliaceum'') – ''

Panicum fauriei ''Panicum fauriei'' is a species of grass known by the common name Faurie's panicgrass. It is endemic to Hawaii. There are at least three varieties of this grass species. One, var. ''carteri'', Carter's panicgrass (formerly named ''Panicum ca ...

'' *

Wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

(''Triticum aestivum'') – Einkorn wheat (''Triticum monococcum'') *

Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

(''Zea mays ''subsp.'' mays)'' – ''

Zea diploperennis ''Zea diploperennis'', the diploperennial teosinte, is a species of grass (family: Poaceae) in the genus '' Zea'' and a teosinte (wild relative of maize or corn). It is perennial. Conservation Virtually all populations of this teosinte are eithe ...

Vegetables

Note: Many different vegetables share one common ancestor, particularly in the ''

Brassica ''Brassica'' () is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. Crops from this genus are sometimes called ''cole ...

'' genus of plants ( cruciferous vegetables). Many vegetables are also hybrids of different species, again this is particularly true of Brassicas (see e.g. triangle of U). *

Asparagus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus '' Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified ...

(''Asparagus officinalis'') – ''

Asparagus dauricus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus '' Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified ...

'' * Beet (''Beta vulgaris ''subsp. ''vulgaris'') – ''Beta vulgaris ''subsp. ''maritima'' * Black Mustard (''Brassica nigra'') – Wild mustard (''

Sinapis arvensis ''Sinapis arvensis'', the charlock mustard, field mustard, wild mustard, or charlock, is an annual or winter annual plant of the genus ''Sinapis'' in the family Brassicaceae. It is found in the fields of North Africa, Asia and Europe. '' Pieri ...

'') * Cabbage (''Brassica oleracea var. capitata) ''- ''

Brassica elongata ''Brassica elongata'', the elongated mustard or long-stalked rape, is a species of the mustard plant that is native to parts of Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Balkan Peninsula, the Caucasus, Morocco and parts of Central Asia. Through plant inv ...

'' * Carrot ('' Daucus carota'') – ''

Daucus gracilis ''Daucus'' is a worldwide genus of herbaceous plants of the celery family Apiaceae of which the best-known species is the cultivated carrot. ''Daucus'' has about 25 species. The oldest carrot fossil is 1.3 Ma, and was found on the island of Made ...

'' *

Garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northe ...

(''Allium sativum ''var. ''sativum'') – ''

Allium atroviolaceum ''Allium atroviolaceum'' is a species of flowering plant in the Amaryllidaceae family. it is commonly called the broadleaf wild leek, and is native to Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, ...

'' *

Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek (syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''All ...

(''Allium ampeloprasum'') – Welsh onion ('' Allium fistulosum'') *

Lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of foo ...

(''Lactuca sativa'') – Prickly lettuce (''

Lactuca serriola ''Lactuca serriola'', also called prickly lettuce, milk thistle (not to be confused with ''Silybum marianum'', also called milk thistle), compass plant, and scarole, is an annual or biennial plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asterac ...

'') * Mustard (''Brassica juncea ''subsp. ''juncea'') – '' Brassica carinata'' *

Onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the oni ...

(''Allium cepa ''var. ''cepa'') – ''

Allium galanthum ''Allium galanthum'' is an Asian species of onion in the amaryllis family, commonly called the snowdrop onion.Rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

'' ''(''Brassica napus ''var. ''napus'') – Common dogmustard (''

Erucastrum gallicum ''Erucastrum gallicum'' is an annual or biennial plant in the family Brassicaceae known by the common names hairy rocket and common dogmustard. It is a low growing plant with an erect upright habit or sometimes with ascending tops with bright y ...

'') *

Spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed eith ...

(''Spinacea oleracea'') – '' Spinacia turkestanica'' * Squash (''Cucurbita pepo ''subsp. ''pepo'') – '' Cucurbita okeechobeensis'' *

Turnip The turnip or white turnip (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. The word ''turnip'' is a compound (linguistics), compound of ''turn'' as in turned/r ...

(''Brassica rapa ''subsp. ''rapa'') – '' Brassica rapa''

Fruits

* Almond (''Prunus dulcis'') – Chinese plum ('' Prunus salicina'' and many others) *

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ances ...

(''Malus domestica'') – mostly '' Malus sieversii'', but with some cultivars perhaps belonging to '' Malus sylvestris'' or being a hybrid of the two. *

Apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus '' Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are al ...

(''Prunus armeniaca'') – ''

Prunus brigantina ''Prunus brigantina'', called Briançon apricot (french: Abricotier de Briançon), Briançon plum (french: Prunier de Briançon), marmot plum (french: Marmottier), and Alpine apricot, is a wild tree species native to France and Italy. Its fruit i ...

'' *

Avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerica, Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Pre-Columb ...

(''Persea americana'') – ''

Persea schiedeana ''Persea schiedeana'', the coyo, is an endangered, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae), native to tropical forests of southern Mexico and Central America. Its edible fruit resembles that of the avocado (''Persea americana)'', a rela ...

'' *

Banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry (botany), berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa (genus), Musa''. In some countries, Cooking banana, bananas used for ...

– ''

Musa acuminata ''Musa acuminata'' is a species of banana native to Southern Asia, its range comprising the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Many of the modern edible dessert bananas are from this species, although some are hybrids with '' Musa balbisian ...

,'' ''

Musa balbisiana ''Musa balbisiana'', also known simply as plantain, is a wild-type species of banana. It is one of the ancestors of modern cultivated bananas, along with ''Musa acuminata''. Description It grows lush leaves in clumps with a more upright habit t ...

'' and ''

Musa schizocarpa '' Musa schizocarpa'' is a species of wild banana (genus ''Musa''). It is native to New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken ...

'' *

Breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of '' Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Phil ...

(''Artocarpus altilis'') – Jackfruit (''

Artocarpus heterphyllus ''Artocarpus'' is a genus of approximately 60 trees and shrubs of Southeast Asian and Pacific origin, belonging to the mulberry family, Moraceae. Most species of ''Artocarpus'' are restricted to Southeast Asia; a few cultivated species are mo ...

'') *

Cacao Cacao is the seed from which cocoa and chocolate are made, from Spanish cacao, an adaptation of Nahuatl cacaua, the root form of cacahuatl ("bean of the cocoa-tree"). It may also refer to: Plants *''Theobroma cacao'', a tropical evergreen tree ** ...

(''Theobroma cacao'') – '' Theobroma angustifolium'' * Cherry (''Prunus avium'') – '' Prunus mahaleb'' *

Cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.Cucumis hystrix ''Cucumis hystrix'' is a monoecious climbing vine in the family Cucurbitaceae. The specific epithet ('' hystrix'') is New Latin for "porcupine". Distribution ''Cucumis hystrix'' is native to northern Thailand, northern Laos, northern Vietnam, ...

'' * Eggplant (''Solanum melongena'') – Thorn apple ('' Solanum incanum''), ''Solanum insanum'' *

Grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry (botany), berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non-Climacteric (botany), climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of ...

(''Vitis vinifera'') – European wild grape (''

Vitis sylvestris ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are curr ...

''). Hybrids exist also including other ''

Vitis ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, ...

'' species. *

Grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit i ...

(''Citrus paradisi'') – '' Citrus medica'' * Lemon (''Citrus limon'') – '' Citrus indica'' *

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...

(''Mangifera indica'') – '' Mangifera altissima'' * Orange (''Citrus sinensis'') – Key lime (''

Citrus aurantiifolia The Key lime or acid lime (''Citrus'' × ''aurantiifolia'' or ''C. aurantifolia'') is a citrus hybrid ('' C. hystrix'' × '' C. medica'') native to tropical Southeast Asia. It has a spherical fruit, in diameter. The Key lime is usually picked ...

'') *

Papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

(''Carica papaya'') – ''

Jarilla chocola Jarilla may refer to: * ''Jarilla'' (genus), a genus of plants in the family Caricaceae * ''Jarilla'', a Spanish language common name for plants in the genus '' Larrea'' *Jarilla, Cáceres, a municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, S ...

'' *

Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non- ...

(''Prunus persica ''var. ''persica'') – '' Prunus tomentosa'' * Pear (''Pyrus communis'') – '' Pyrus pyraster'' and ''

Pyrus caucasica Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the ...

'' *

Pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

(''Capsicum annuum'') – '' Capsicum baccatum'' * Pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') – '' Ananas bracteatus'' *

Plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found ...

(''Prunus domesticus ''subsp.'' domestica'')- '' Prunus spinosa'' and '' Prunus cerasifera'' *

Pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus '' Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes u ...

(''Cucurbita maxima ''subsp. ''maxima'') – '' Cucurbita ecuadorensis'' *

Strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely a ...

('' Fragaria'' × ''ananassa'') *

Tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word , ...

(''Solanum lycopersicum'') – '' Solanum chilense'' *

Watermelon Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 var ...

(''Citrullus lanatus ''var. ''lanatus'') –

Bitter apple ''Citrullus colocynthis'', with many common names including Abu Jahl's melon, (native name in Turkey) colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, vine of Sodom, or wild gourd, is a desert viny plant native to the Mediterranean Basin and A ...

('' Citrullus colocynthis'')

Oilseeds

Peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible Seed, seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small ...

(''Arachis hypogaea'' subsp. ''hypogaea'') – '' Arachis duranensis'' * Sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') – ''

Helianthus exilis ''Helianthus exilis'' is a species of sunflower known by the common name serpentine sunflower. It is endemic to northern California (from Siskiyou County south to Napa County and Nevada County), where it grows mainly in mountainous areas, often ...

'' * Soya (''Glycine max'') – ''

Glycine clandestina ''Glycine clandestina'', commonly known as twining glycine or love creeper, is a scrambling plant in the bean family, found in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country compr ...

'' *

Safflower Safflower (''Carthamus tinctorius'') is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies a ...

(''Carthamus tinctorius'') – ''

Carthamus creticus ''Carthamus creticus'' is a plant species in the family Asteraceae, related to safflower. It is native to the Mediterranean region including Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Britain, Italy, Greece, Malta, Serbia, Bosnia, etc.), North Africa (Mor ...

'' * Rapeseed (''Brassica napus'') – ''

Brassica rapa, Brassica oleracea ''Brassica'' () is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. Crops from this genus are sometimes called ''cole cro ...

Pulses

'Cajanus scarabaeoides' - a wild pigeonpea

Lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest pro ...

(''Lens culinaris'') – ''

Lens ervoides A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'' ...

'' * Garden Pea (''Pisum sativum'') – '' Pisum fulvum'' * Butter Bean (''Phaseolus lunatus'') – ''

Phaseolus augusti ''Phaseolus'' (bean, wild bean) is a genus of herbaceous to woody annual and perennial vines in the family Fabaceae containing about 70 plant species, all native to the Americas, primarily Mesoamerica. It is one of the most economically importan ...

'' *

Garden Bean ''Phaseolus vulgaris'', the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its botanical classification, ...

(''Phaseolus vulgaris'') – '' Phaseolus coccineus'' * Faba Bean (''Vicia faba'') – ''

Vicia johannis ''Vicia'' is a genus of over 240 species of flowering plants that are part of the legume family (Fabaceae), and which are commonly known as vetches. Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other ...

'' *

Grasspea ''Lathyrus sativus'', also known as grass pea, cicerchia, blue sweet pea, chickling pea, chickling vetch, Indian pea, white pea and white vetch,''Kew GardensLathyrus sativus'' (grass pea) is a legume (family Fabaceae) commonly grown for human ...

(''Lathyrus sativus'') – '' Lathyrus tuberosus'' *

Cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus '' Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few i ...

(''Vigna unguiculata'') – '' Vigna monantha'' * Bambara groundnut (''Vigna subterranea'') – '' Vigna hosei'' * Pigeonpea (''Cajanus cajan'') – ''

Cajanus albicans The genus ''Cajanus'' is a member of the plant family Fabaceae. There are 37 species, mainly distributed across Africa, Asia and Australasia. Species include the pigeon pea (''C. cajan''), which is a significant food crop. ''Cajanus'' spe ...

,'' '' Cajanus scarabaeoides, Cajanus sericeus, Cajanus acutifolius'' *

Chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are hi ...

('' Cicer arietinum'') – ''

Cicer reticulatum ''Cicer reticulatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to southeastern Turkey. It is the wild ancestor of ''Cicer arietinum'', the chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of ...

, Cicer echinospermum'' * Vetch (''Vicia sativa'') – ''

Vicia barbazitae ''Vicia'' is a genus of over 240 species of flowering plants that are part of the legume family (Fabaceae), and which are commonly known as vetches. Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other ...

'' * Adzuki bean (''Vigna angularis ''var. ''angularis'') – '' Vigna umbellata'' * Black gram bean (''Vigna mungo ''var. ''mungo'') – '' Vigna grandiflora'' * Mung bean (''Vigna radiata ''var. ''radiata'') – ''

Vigna stipulacea ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

Forages

* Alfalfa ('' Medicago sativa'') - ''

Medicago arborea ''Medicago arborea'' is a flowering plant species in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. Common names include moon trefoil, shrub medick, alfalfa arborea, and tree medick. It is found throughout Europe and especially in the Mediterranean basin, pri ...

'' and '' Medicago truncatula''

Tubers

* Sweet potato (''Ipomoea batatas'') – ''

Ipomoea triloba ''Ipomoea triloba'' is a species of ''Ipomoea'' morning glory known by several common names, including littlebell and Aiea morning glory. It is native to the tropical Americas, but it is widespread in warm areas of the world, where it is an introd ...

, Ipomoea cynanchifolia, Ipomoea leucantha'' and ''

Ipomoea trifida ''Ipomoea trifida'', the threefork morning glory, is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae. It is native to the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. ''I. trifida'' is known for being the closest living wild relative to Sweet ...

'' *

Cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...

(''Manihot esculenta ''subsp. ''esculenta'') – ''

Manihot walkerae ''Manihot walkerae'', commonly known as Walker's manihot, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States and Tamaulipas in Mexico. The specific na ...

'' *

Potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Un ...

(''Solanum tuberosum'') – '' Solanum chacoense''

References

External links

Crop Wild Relatives Inventory and Gap Analysis

European Crop Wild Relative Diversity Assessment and Conservation Forum

Beyond the Gardens: The Crop Wild Relatives Project
(Vimeo Video)

A short video on emmer wheat.
Short DIVERSEEDS video on crop wild relatives in the fertile crescent in Israel

Atlas of Guatemalan Crop Wild Relatives

Bioversity International - Crop Wild Relatives
{{Cereals Agroecology Crops Habitat management equipment and methods

Overview

Conservation of crop wild relatives

Examples of wild relatives

Grains

Vegetables

Fruits

Oilseeds

Pulses

Forages

Tubers

See also

References

External links