Bituminaria bituminosa var.albomarginata (Lancelot trefoil),a novel perennial forage legume for low‐rainfall Mediterranean environments in Western Australia

摘要

Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) Stirt.is a herbaceous perennial legume widely distributed in the Mediterranean Basin and Macaronesia.In the Canary Islands the species presents a larger diversity with 3 botanical varieties found in habitats ranging from the coastal semiarid areas on Lanzarote Island with an annual rainfall of 150mm to 300mm (var.albomarginata) to the high elevation subhumid area of Tenerife with up to 500mm annual rainfall (var. crassiuscula) (Mendez et al.,1990).The third var. bituminosa has a wider adaptation across the Canary Islands and is the only one present in other parts of the Mediterranean basin.Var albomarginata (Lancelot trefoil) and var crassiuscula (Teide trefoil) have recently been accepted for introduction by Biosecurity Australia and can now be evaluated as potential pasture species in Australia.