Diversity and Evolutionary Relationship Among Four Cultivated and Two Wild Species of Vigna

Cultivated Vigna species; mung bean (V. radiata (L.) Wilczek), urad bean (V. mungo (L.) Hepper) and their wild occurring putative progenitors; V. radiata var. sublobata Verde. and V. mungo L. var. silvestris Lukoki, Marecital and Otoul respectively were studied along with rice bean (V. umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi) and V. trilobata Ait. The data from experimental biology demonstrated discrete variation among variable populations of different Vigna species. Four distinct groups emerged showing that all the four cultivated species are distinct and have diverse and independent origin, while var. silvestris showed continuous variation with urad bean suggesting close affinity and direct lineage from abore putative progenitor.