A clarification of theMedicago papillosacomplex

摘要

TheMedicago papillosacomplex of northeastern Turkey and the adjacent USSR has been considered to comprise as many as three species. It was found that the diagnostic features attributed toM.papillosaBoiss. var.macrocarpaBoiss. (=M.papillosasubsp.macrocarpa(Boiss.) Urban =M.ignatziiLesins amp; Lesins) segregate very well all Turkish plants west of longitude 41deg; E. Plants of the USSR, commonly labelledM.dzhawakheticaBordz. (=M.papillosavar.dzhawakhetica(Bordz.) Bordz.), have been alleged to differ from remaining representatives of theM.papillosacomplex, especially with respect to the presence of glandular hairs on the fruits. However, no basis was found for recognition of more than one taxon east of longitude 41deg; E (i. e., inclusive of all Russian plants, and of all Turkish plants east of 41deg; E). The names accepted in this paper for the western and eastern variants are, respectively,M.papillosasubsp.macrocarpaandM.papillosasubsp.papillosa. Only diploid (2nensp;=ensp;2xensp;=ensp;16) chromosome number determinations have been recorded forM.papillosasubsp.macrocarpa, whereas both diploid and tetraploid counts have been made forM.papillosasubsp.papillosa.