Abstract
In this paper, we focused our attention on the taxonomy and distribution in Italy of taxa belonging to Trifolium sect. Vesicastrum subsect. Mystillus. A short description of these closely related clovers, based on the study of fresh plant material, revision of herbarium specimens, and analysis of the relevant literature, is provided. Diagnostic features were highlighted by means of high-resolution digital images and, accordingly, an identification key is given. Trifolium spumosum, T. vesiculosum, T. mutabile and T. setiferum are reported to be distributed throughout Italy. We have updated the Italian distribution of the first three species by providing new occurrences from Tuscany, Umbria, Campania, Basilicata, and Calabria and by correcting previous references. The current presence of T. multistriatum in southern Italy is confirmed by our study, while T. setiferum must be excluded from the flora of Sicily. The study resulted in five new regional occurrences and 16 changes of presence status. Finally, intermediate forms between T. vesiculosum, T. multistriatum and T. mutabile were found both in living material and in the revised herbarium specimens.
Highlights
The genus Trifolium L. is cosmopolitan, with about 255 species occurring mostly in the northern hemisphere (Zohary and Heller 1984, Gillett and Taylor 2001, Smýkal et al 2015)
The latter species, more thermophilous and xerophilous, often appears with plants of very small size. All these species are glabrous, with many erect or ascending stems, rather long-petioled lower leaves, short-petioled to sub-sessile upper leaves, elliptical, acute, serrulate-dentate and mucronulate leaflets. They have many flower heads, which are terminal and axillary, globular to elongate in fruit (Figure 1), sustained by long or short, thick, peduncles; the floral bracts are lanceolate with prominent longitudinal nerves; the calyx is variable in shape among different species (Figure 2A–C); the corolla exerts from the calyx, it is white at anthesis reddish to purple, persistent and becoming scarious after flowering (Figure 1)
Our study has shown that knowledge on the distribution of clovers belonging to Trifolium subsect
Summary
The genus Trifolium L. is cosmopolitan, with about 255 species occurring mostly in the northern hemisphere (Zohary and Heller 1984, Gillett and Taylor 2001, Smýkal et al 2015). According to Ellison et al (2006) and Zohary and Heller (1984), the genus presumably originated in the eastern regions of the Mediterranean where the largest number and greatest variety of species are concentrated to date. In this area, it is represented by over 150 species, the richest country being Turkey (over 100 species), the poorest Egypt (22 species) (Euro+Med 2006 onwards). At least 16 species of Trifolium are actively cultivated (Gillett and Taylor 2001), of which 10 are of considerable agricultural importance (Zohary and Heller 1984)
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