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Biologia 67/2: 296—309, 2012 Section Botany DOI: 10.2478/s11756-012-0013-1
A morphometric study on Anthyllis vulneraria (Fabaceae) from Poland and its taxonomic implications
Kaja Rola
Department of Plant Taxonomy, Phytogeography & Herbarium, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 27, PL-31-501 Kraków, Poland; e-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The paper presents results of morphometric analysis of Anthyllis vulneraria L. in Poland based on 828 herbarium specimens. This study investigates five taxa which have been recognized in Poland: Anthyllis vulneraria L. ssp. vulneraria, Anthyllis vulneraria ssp. polyphylla (DC.) Nyman, A. vulneraria ssp. maritima (Schweigg.) Corb., A. vulneraria ssp. alpestris Asch. et Graebn. and A. vulneraria ssp. carpatica (Pant.) Nyman as well as three intermediate taxa of presumably hybrid origin. Multivariate statistical analyses of 12 quantitative and 10 qualitative characteristics revealed conspicuous variation within A. vulneraria. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), correspondence analysis (CA) and discriminant analysis (DA) proved the taxonomic usefulness of quantitative characteristics such as number of rosette leaves, calyx length, inflorescence length, the ratio of leaf length/width, bract length as well as qualitative characteristics such as stem hairiness, calyx colour, calyx indumentum, distances between stem leaves and form of rosette leaves. The issues concerning intermediate morphotypes occurring in Poland and their status are discussed. Finally, a key for determination of taxa within A. vulneraria in Poland and distribution maps based on the material examined are provided. Key words: Anthyllis vulneraria; biometry; Fabaceae; morphological variability; multivariate statistics; Poland; systematic key; taxonomy
Introduction ten morphologically indistinct (Juzepczuk 1945; Puidet et al. 2005). Most taxa are morphologically similar, Anthyllis L. belongs to the tribe Loteae (Polhill 1981; and some of them have presumably hybrid origin. The Allan & Porter 2000) within the family Fabaceae. An- wide variation in morphology observed nowadays sug- thyllis L. is taxonomically very complex. It consists of gests that there are a few taxa within A. vulneraria numerous taxa wherein the status of most of them re- and intermediates, which could be commonly found on mains questionable. The number of species within the the border ranges. The species was probably divided genus has been previously reported to range from 25 into several taxa with distinct geographical ranges in (Cullen 1986) up to 60 (Minjaev & Akulova 1987). the past (Jalas 1950). This differentiation has not, Anthyllis vulneraria L. is a very polymorphic so far as is known, led to complete genetic isolation species, consisting of 30 intraspecific taxa (many of (Marsden-Jones & Turrill 1933). As a result of many them frequently recognized as species), between which factors such as climate change and the ability to oc- intermediates occur, often over a large area (Cullen cupy disturbed habitats, there was a partial blurring 1968). Some researchers distinguish only one poly- of the primary border-lines of particular morphotypes typic species – A. vulneraria (Stankov & Taliev 1949; as well as diagnostic morphological differences (Jalas Jalas 1950; Jalas 1952). On the other hand, Rothmaler 1950). Therefore, in spite of the fact that it is not so (1941) and Juzepczuk (1945) claim that there are sev- widespread to recognize A. vulneraria as species com- eral separate and more or less independent species dis- plex, it should be considered in such a way, because the tinguishable in Europe. These inter-grading variants complexity of this taxon is evident (Krall 1983; K¨oster might be, to some extent, ecologically and geograph- 2010). ically separated (Cullen 1986); however, their classifi- Anthyllis vulneraria has wide distribution through- cation is complicated. It should be noted here that in out most of Europe (Becker 1911) from the Atlantic spite of wide variability within A. vulneraria, chromo- coast to the Baltic region; south to the Mediter- some numbers of all the taxa examined in this study ranean Basin as well as in North Africa (Algeria, Mo- are the same (2n = 12) (Bolkhovskikh et al. 1969; rocco, Ethiopia) (Bennett et al. 2001); east to SW Van Loon & Kieft 1980; Yeh et al. 1986; Dempsey Asia – mainly Turkey (Cullen 1976) and the Caucasus et al. 1994; L¨ovkvist & Hultgørd 1999), which means and Iran (Marsden-Jones & Turrill 1933). It has also they are diploid. Furthermore, A. vulneraria consists been introduced into North America and New Zealand of local morphotypes in limited areas, which are of- (Hultén & Fries 1986).