A clarification of the Medicago papillosa complex

Abstract

The Medicago papillosa complex 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 to M. papillosa Boiss. var. macrocarpa Boiss. (= M. papillosa subsp. macrocarpa (Boiss.) Urban = M. ignatzii Lesins and Lesins) segregate very well all Turkish plants west of longitude 41.degree. E. Plants of the USSR, commonly labelled M. dzhawakhetica Bordz. (= M. papillosa var. dzhawakhertica (Bordz.) Bordz.), have been alleged to differ from remaining representatives of the M. papillosa complex, 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 41.degree. E (i.e., inclusive of all Russian plants, and of all Turkish plants east of 41.degree.E). The names accepted in this paper for the western and eastern variants are, respectively, M. papillosa subsp. macrocarpa and M. papillosa subsp. papillosa. Only diploid (2n = 2x = 16) chromosome number determinations have been recorded for M. papillosa subsp. macrocarpa, whereas both diploid and tetraploid counts have been made for M. papillosa subsp. papillosa.