Abstract
This study aims at examining and confirming the patterns of phenetic relationships and the levels of variations within and among the species of Lotus L., 1753 in Egypt by using morphometric analysis techniques. We have evaluated 24 morphological characters from about 300 herbarium specimens representing 19 species of Lotus that are currently recognized. Based on numerical analyses of macromorphological characters (cluster analysis, principal coordinate analysis and principal component analysis), 19 species of Lotus were recognized from Egypt. These species were clustered in six species-specific groups: (I) Lotus halophilus Boiss. & Spruner, L. angustissimus L., L. glinoides Delile and L. schimperi Steud. ex Boiss., (II) Lotus glaber Mill. and L. palustris Willd., (III) Lotus polyphyllos E.D. Clarke, L. creticus L. and L. cytisoides L., (IV) Lotus gebelia Vent., L. lanuginosus Vent. and L. arenarius Brot., (V) Lotus edulis L., L. tetragonolobus L. and L. conjugatus L. and (VI) Lotus ornithopodioides L., L. peregrinus L., L. arabicus L. and L. hebranicus Hochst. ex Brand. As a result of this study, we proposed that some characters, not previously examined in detail, showed significant characters in species delimitation: pod length, seed dimensions, features of upper and lower leaflets, calyx, length of corolla, length of style, numbers of flowers and ovules.
Highlights
The genus Lotus L., 1753 (Fabaceae, Loteae) is polymorphic and includes about 150 species native to Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and some islands of Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Socotra archipelago in the Indian Ocean
The ANOVA test show that seven [Seed/pod length (4), seed color (7), shape of upper leaflet (8), shape of lower leaflet (11), calyx tube length (18), corolla color (21 and style shape (22)] out of the 24 examined characters are insignificantly different between species in all measured variables (Tab. 5)
This study revealed the importance of pod length, seed dimensions, measurements of upper and lower leaflets, calyx, length of corolla, length of style, numbers of flowers and ovules as characteristics that determinate the studied 19 species of Lotus
Summary
The genus Lotus L., 1753 (Fabaceae, Loteae) is polymorphic and includes about 150 species native to Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and some islands of Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Socotra archipelago in the Indian Ocean. All native New World species formerly placed in Lotus are segregated in four genera In the Old World, three monotypic segregate genera are accepted: Kebirita Kramina and Sokoloff, Podolotus Royle and Pseudolotus Rech. Are placed in the synonymy of Lotus (Degtjareva et al, 2006) This has changed considerably with the advent of phylogenetic studies based on nrITS sequences; these have clearly shown that the New World species of Lotus are not closely related to the Old World species (Allan and Porter, 2000), and in particular Degtjareva et al (2006) revised sectional classifications proposed by Sokoloff (1999 a, b) and Kramina and Sokoloff (2003)
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