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... Lotus filicaulis Dur. was described in 1846 from coastal sandy places in Oran and limestone slopes in Mascara (Mediterranean coast in northwestern Algeria). It is characterized by filiform stems and long peduncles, about ten times longer than subtending leaves (Brand 1898 and one-or, rarely, two-flowered umbels. The flowers are small, 7-9 mm long, with primrose to pale pink petals. ...
... Molecular phylogenetic data show that the Lotus pedunculatus group (two of three species are studied so far -the /Lotus pedunculatus clade) is not sister to the /Lotus corniculatus clade; instead, the Lotus pedunculatus group appears to be sister to a clade of three annual members of the section Lotus, namely the /Lotus angustissimus clade (Degtjareva et al. 2006;this study Traditionally, L. conimbricensis was classified within the section Erythrolotus. As defined by Brand (1898), the section Erythrolotus is characterized by red (to white) flowers. Members of the section Lotus have predominantly yellow flowers. ...
... The present analysis added to this clade L. tetraphyllus. Traditionally, L. tetraphyllus has been classified within a monospecific section Quadrifolium (Brand 1898;Ball & ChrtkovÁ-ŽertovÁ 1968;Valdés 2000). Our data suggest that L. tetraphyllus can be placed within the section Lotea. ...
Some new nrITS sequences of Lotus are produced and added to the data set analysed in DEGTJAREVA et al. (2006). Lotus burttii and L. filicaulis are revealed as members of the /Lotus corniculatus clade. Lotus conimbricensis is found to be sister to the entire /Lotus corniculatus clade; the /Lotus pedunculatus clade is more distantly related. The New Caledonian Lotus anfractuosus is closest among species sampled to two Australian endemics, though its molecular divergence is considerable. The NE African Lotus torulosus is close to some other red-flowered species from the same region; it does not group with any other Lotus species with dimotphic leaflets. In general, dimorphic vs. monomorphic leaflets is a quite homoplastic character in Lotus. Molecular divergence is weak within the /Pedrosia clade, where the morphological divergence is especially high. In contrast, molecular divergence is considerable but morphological differentiation is weak in the /Lotus corniculatus clade.
... The genus Lotus possess a difficult generic delimitation. The history of the classification of the genus has been one of constant disagreement among taxonomists, who have created subgenera, sections, subsections (Brand 1898;Gillett 1958;Ball and Chtrkova-Zertova 1968), and species groups (Heyn 1966(Heyn , 1970aHeyn and Herrnstadt 1967) to accommodate the taxa and to show relationships among the species. Polhill (1981) treated the genus Lotus from a wide point of view, including within it ca. ...
... In this study, cladistic analysis was used to investigate the phylogeny of the Old World species of Lotus, subgenus Edentolotus, sections Krokeria, Xantholotus, and Erythrolotus, sensu Brand (1898) and, to test the phylogenetic relationships among species of Lotus-Edentolotus and Dorycnium, Pedrosia, and Tetragonolobus, these taxa were included as part of the ingroup. ...
... Since 1898, Pedrosia (ca. 24 species) has been considered a subgenus of Lotus (Brand 1898); it is characterized by having a distally dentate style. Tetragonolobus (ca. 5 species) was included within Lotus (Callen 1959;Polhill 1981;Kirkbride 1994); however, it has also been treated as a valid genus separate from Lotus (Brand 1898;Harney and Grant 1965;Ball and Chrtkova-Zertova 1968;Heyn 1970b;Isely 1981;Wiersema et al. 1990;Grant 1995). ...
The diagnostic characters of the genus Lotus L. are a claw with a thickened infolded margin, diadelphous stamens, and a style hardened from the base. This genus contains about 100 species that are distributed throughout the world. To investigate the phylogeny of the Old World species of Lotus, subgenus Edentolotus, sections Krokeria, Xantholotus, and Erythrolotus, a cladistic analysis was performed using 31 morphological characters. To test the phylogenetic relationships among species of Lotus-Edentolotus and Dorycnium, Pedrosia, and Tetragonolobus, these taxa were included as part of the ingroup. The polarity of the characters was based on the outgroup comparison method, using Anthyllis as one outgroup and Tripodion as another. The analysis with Anthyllis as outgroup yielded eight equally parsimonious trees (with all characters equally weighted), each with 62 steps, a consistency index of 0.53, and a retention index of 0.75. All trees (including the strict consensus tree from the eight initial trees) showed that genus Lotus, subgenus Edentolotus, and sections Xantholotus and Erythrolotus are polyphyletic, with only section Krokeria appearing as monophyletic. On the other hand, the groups of species Lotus angustissimus, Lotus corniculatus, Lotus creticus, and Lotus peregrinus are monophyletic. Identical results were derived from the data matrix using Tripodion as the outgroup. Results are compared with previous cytogenetic and biochemical evidence.Key words: cladistic analysis, Fabaceae, Loteae, Lotus, Old World species, phylogeny.
... Following Linnaeus (1753), many taxonomists keep a broad species concept of the L. corniculatus complex (e.g. Ledebour, 1842;Brand, 1898;Hegi, 1924;Heyn, 1970;Chrtková-Žertová, 1973Chrtková-Žertová, , 1984Townsend, 1974;Schubert & Vent, 1994;Greuter et al., 1989;Valdés, 2000). In contrast, Ball & Chrtková-Žertová (1968) recognized 12 Lotus spp. in the complex in Europe. ...
... Phylogenetic relationships between the L. corniculatus group and other members of section Lotus vary depending on the DNA markers used. In analyses of nrITS1-2 and two combined plastid markers, the L. corniculatus complex appears as closely related to L. conimbricensis (Degtjareva et al., 2006(Degtjareva et al., , 2008Kramina et al., 2016), the former member of section Erythrolotus Brand (Brand, 1898). Phylogenetic analyses based on 5ʹETS nrDNA indicate close relationships between the L. corniculatus and L. angustissimus clades (Kramina et al., 2016). ...
The Lotus corniculatus complex (Fabaceae, Loteae) includes diploids (2n = 2x = 12) and tetraploids (2n = 4x = 24). Monophyly of the complex was supported by recent phylogenetic analyses, but evolutionary relationships within it remain debatable. The present study aims to outline species relationships in the L. corniculatus complex and evolutionary history of the group in eastern Europe and northern Asia. Genetic variability (based on plastid trnL-trnF sequences and eight nuclear microsatellite loci) is described for 51 local populations of six species in the complex (the diploids L. krylovii, L. frondosus, L. tenuis and L. stepposus and the tetraploids L. corniculatus and L. ×ucrainicus) in northern Eurasia and compared to the patterns of morphological differentiation. A representative set of species of Lotus section Lotus was also included in phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses. The morphological and genetic variation patterns indicate sporadic interspecific hybridization in sympatric zones. The genetic structure of the species is different in the European and Asian parts of the distribution area. Taxonomic significance of indels in the trnL-F region is confirmed by phylogenetic studies of section Lotus. A reconstructed plastid haplotype network of the L. corniculatus group indicated that haplotype A is closest to the hypothetical ancestral type in one of the Mediterranean glacial refugia. The proposed phylogeographic scenario suggests a European origin of the L. corniculatus complex and its geographical expansion parallel to the changes in plastid haplotypes from group A in Western Europe to group D in Central Asia, as well as the existence of a possible 'southern' lineage represented by the haplotype E group. The decrease of population genetic variability in Asia is probably due to the change of prevailing mating system from cross-pollination to autogamy.
... Version of Record TAXON 65 (5) • October : 997-1018 There are various opinions regarding the generic limits of Lotus (Greene, 1890;Taubert, 1894;Brand, 1898;Ottley, 1944;Gillett, 1958;Callen, 1959;Hutchinson, 1964;Isely, 1981;Polhill, 1981Polhill, , 1994Lassen, 1986;Ali, 1994;Kirkbride, 1994Kirkbride, , 1999Kramina & Sokoloff, 1997, 2001Sokoloff, 1999Sokoloff, , 2000Sokoloff, , 2003aTalavera & Salgueiro, 1999). Both morphological and molecular phylogenetic data strongly support recognizing the monospecific Old World genera Kebirita Kramina & D.D.Sokoloff, Podolotus Royle ex Benth. ...
... After the revision of Brand's large sect. Erythrolotus (Brand, 1898) by Kramina & Sokoloff (2003), the section became monospecific with the single species L. conimbricensis (Kramina & Sokoloff, 2003;Degtjareva & al., 2006). However, molecular phylogenetic studies of Lotus based on nrITS sequences revealed close relationships between L. conimbricensis and sect. ...
Lotus comprises ca. 130 species of herbs, semishrubs and shrubs native to the Old World, including important pasture crops and a model legume, L. japonicus. Earlier nrITS-based phylogenies were incongruent with all taxonomic classifications of the genus. In particular, members of the former genus Dorycnium were unexpectedly placed near species of L. sect. Lotus. The primary goal of the present study is to explore whether the unexpected placement of members of sect. Lotus and the former genus Dorycnium in earlier phylogenetic studies resulted from (1) insufficient taxon sampling and/or (2) the use of only one DNA marker. The rooting of the Lotus phylogeny, its major clades and basic biogeographic patterns are also discussed. This is the first global phylogenetic study of Lotus that uses both plastid and nuclear markers. The nrITS region was analyzed in 155 ingroup specimens representing 98 species of Lotus. Sequences of nrITS, nrETS, psbA-trnH spacer and rps16 intron were analyzed for 70 ingroup specimens representing 54 species. The placement of the segregate genera Dorycnium and Tetragonolobus in the synonymy of Lotus was confirmed. Analyses of plastid data strongly supported a basal split of Lotus into two clades, one comprising species of sect. Lotus plus those traditionally placed in Dorycnium and the other including the rest of the species. The former clade has a centre of species diversity in Europe and N Asia, and the latter in Macaronesia, Africa and S Asia. Only the "Southern" clade is resolved in analyses of nrITS and nrETS data. Trees inferred from plastid, nrITS and nrETS data shared the occurrence of several smaller clades corresponding to traditionally recognized infrageneric taxa or species groups as well as the occurrence of some well-supported clades that differ from traditional taxonomic concepts. Several instances of incongruence were documented between nuclear and plastid markers and between the two nuclear markers, possibly resulting from reticulate evolution. The extant geographic patterns of Lotus are likely biased by at least one round of area fragmentation followed by expansion coupled with extensive speciation associated with the complex history of the Mediterranean biome.
... There is little agreement in the literature regarding generic limits of Lotus (e.g., Greene 1890; Taubert 1894; Brand 1898; Ottley 1944; Callen 1959; Gillett 1959; Hutchinson 1964; Polhill 1981 Polhill , 1994 Isely 1981; Lassen 1986; Kirkbride 1994 Kirkbride , 1999 Sokoloff 1997, 2001; Talavera and Salgueiro 1999; Sokoloff 1999 Sokoloff , 2000 Sokoloff , 2003a Sokoloff , 2003b). The (lecto) type species, Lotus corniculatus, as well as its closest relatives are native to the Old World. ...
... There are two principal questions regarding the limits of this group. (1) Lotus palustris is either included in the L. corniculatus group (Ball and Chrtková-Z ˇ ertová 1968) or allied with L. angustissimus (Brand 1898; Heyn 1970a) by different taxonomic authorities. Lotus palustris is similar to the species of the L. angustissimus group by the indumentum type, leaf rachis usually prolonged above the insertion of upper lateral leaflets, comparatively small flowers (ca. ...
Lotus (120–130 species) is the largest genus of the tribe Loteae. The taxonomy of Lotus is complicated, and a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus is needed. We have conducted phylogenetic analyses of Lotus based on nrITS data alone and combined with data on 46 morphological characters. Eighty-one ingroup nrITS accessions representing 71 Lotus species are studied; among them 47 accessions representing 40 species are new. Representatives of all other genera of the tribe Loteae are included in the outgroup (for three genera, nrITS sequences are published for the first time). Forty-two of 71 ingroup species were not included in previous morphological phylogenetic studies. The most important conclusions of the present study are (1) addition of morphological data to the nrITS matrix produces a better resolved phylogeny of Lotus; (2) previous findings that Dorycnium and Tetragonolobus cannot be separated from Lotus at the generic level are well supported; (3) Lotus creticus should be placed in section Pedrosia rather than in section Lotea; (4) a broad treatment of section Ononidium is unnatural and the section should possibly not be recognized at all; (5) section Heinekenia is paraphyletic; (6) section Lotus should include Lotus conimbricensis; then the section is monophyletic; (7) a basic chromosome number of x = 6 is an important synapomorphy for the expanded section Lotus; (8) the segregation of Lotus schimperi and allies into section Chamaelotus is well supported; (9) there is an apparent functional correlation between stylodium and keel evolution in Lotus.
... Based on previous studies (Gillett, 1958;Heyn, 1967;Kramina, 1999Kramina, , 2006Kramina and Sokoloff, 2004), Lotus is a taxonomically difficult genus. No worldwide taxonomic studies for the whole genus have been produced since the monograph of Brand (1898). A comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus is needed (Degtjareva et al., 2006). ...
Trichomes, epidermal cell features, and seed coat sculpturing of 12 Lotus taxa from Egypt were studied using scanning electron microscopy. In addition, statistical analysis for the taxa under investigation was carried out. The results revealed that trichomes have high taxonomic significances between studied taxa. Anticlinal and periclinal cell walls and epidermal cell shape for the stem, leaf, and calyx for each taxon were examined. Seed coat sculpturing exhibited 4 main different surface patterns categories: rugose, reticulate, sulcate, and verrucate. These features can serve as good diagnostic characters at the species level of the genus Lotus.
... Taxonomically, both groups have been variously united as Pedrosia s. l. (Rhyncholotus + Pedrosia), or considered as separate sections (Brand, 1898), subgenera (Bentham, 1865; or genera (Christ, 1888;Kunkel, 1974). The only characteristics separating Rhyncholotus from Pedrosia are those associated with floral adaptations to bird pollination (Perez de Paz, 1990;. ...
... That same year Burman (1768) published the species L. tenuifolius Burm. f. for a species from the Cape of Good Hope, which is a synonym of Psoralea fascicularis DC. (Brand, 1898). Willdenow (1809) then recognized Linnaeus' L. corniculatus var. ...
The narrow-leaf trefoil is a widely used forage plant in temperate and subtemperate areas. It is the object of extensive improvement programs and research, which has generated a large body of literature. A few decades ago it was discovered that its traditional scientific name, Lotus tenuis Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd., had to be superseded by an older name, L. glaber Mill. It was then proposed to permanently reject the name L. glaber, thus allowing L. tenuis to continue in use for the narrow-leaf trefoil. The rejection proposal for the name L. glaber was finally accepted by the 17th International Botanical Congress (IBC) in July 2005, so L. tenuis is now the scientific name for the narrow-leaf trefoil.
... Lotea (Medikus) Willk., Ball redefined the limits of the L. creticus group with the addition of the species of the L. peregrinus group. Allan and Porter (2000) demonstrated the polyphylly of the genus Lotus by the use of molecular data and Arambarri (2000), in a cladistic analysis of the Old World species based on morphological characters, showed that the genus Lotus and most of Brand's (1898) infrageneric categories, including sect. Xantholotus, are polyphyletic, but that Heyn's and Heyn and Herrnstadt's species groups are monophyletic. ...
Some perennial species of Lotus L. (Leguminosae: Loteae) from the Old World constitute an important forage resource. The epidermal microcharacters of 15 species belonging to the Old World Lotus angustissimus L., L. corniculatus L., L. creticus L. and L. peregrinus L. groups were described to compute the phenetic relationships, and to compare these results with previous classifications and phylogenetic hypotheses. Data on epidermal cells, stomata, stomatal indeces and trichomes were recorded and summarised in tables and illustrations. To test the taxonomic value of epidermal features and to establish the phenetic relationships, two numerical analyses were performed. Phenograms by the unweighted pair-group method (UPGMA) of clustering were generated. Results of the numerical analysis using a basic data matrix (15 operational taxonomic units × 15 epidermal characters) suggested that epidermal characteristics make it possible to establish species' and species groups' relationships; however, they were not totally coincident with previous classifications. An additional analysis using epidermal characters plus other morphological characters from leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds led to establish species' and species groups' relationships. Results generated by the latter analysis demonstrated that epidermal traits, together with other characters, are useful and informative for testing species clustering. Phenetic results coincide with earlier classifications and chromosome-number studies and accord well with a previous phylogenetic hypothesis in showing the close relationship among species of the Old World Lotus groups included in this study.
In this study, the seed morphology of the taxa Nigella, Garidella, and Komaroffia were examined to provide systematic knowledge about the tribe Nigelleae. The seeds of 21 taxa in 20 species from Mediterranean and West Asian countries were studied using both zoom stereo and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and Unweighted average linkage analysis (UPGMA) were performed to assess the contribution of seed characters to defining the taxonomy of the tribe. Representative pictures from zoom stereo microscopy and SEM studies and measurement of seeds were prepared. Seed shape and color are controversy with proposed generic level of the tribe. Macromorphological characters have importance at sectional level rather than generic level. Five main types of seed ornemantations– rugulose+striate, granulate, smooth, rugulose and mucronulate‐ were detected. Patterns in seed micromorphology, however, mainly supported taxonomic relationships at sectional treatment in Nigella and two of the three sections are well differentiated based on only seed characters. Seed morphology alone provide good support to Garidella as a distinct species, but it shows less taxonomic value for Komaroffia. Distinct seed shape, size, and surface sculpturing separated studied taxa into five main groups.
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The incidence of flavonoids and phenolic acids substantiates the reclassification of a number of diploid taxa formerly considered as varieties of the tetraploid species, L. corniculatus. Whereas leaves of L. corniculatus contained leucodelphinidin, quercetin, leucocyanidin, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid, those of the diploid species, L. alpinus, L. japonicus, L. krylovii and L. schoelleri, lacked leucodelphinidin but contained sinapic acid which was rarely found in leaves of L. corniculatus. The leaves of L. filicaulis contained the same compounds as those of the aforementioned diploid species but lacked sinapic acid. Lotus tenuis and L. borbasii differed most from L. corniculatus in that their leaves possessed only kaempferol and ferulic acid. The morphological polymorphism evident in plants of L. corniculatus was not reflected in the flavonoid and phenolic acid content of this species. The data obtained lend support for the hypothesis of an allotetraploid origin for L. corniculatus. The phenolic content of the leaves of interspecific hybrids between diploid species was a summation of the phenolic residues found in the parental species. The same is true of the plants of an F2 population of a cross between L. japonicus and L. filicaulis. The results indicate that phenolic compounds in the leaves of Lotus are inherited in a dominant fashion and that they may be used as species characteristics in systematic studies. Lotus caucasicus has been determined to be a tetraploid species with 24 somatic chromosomes.
A common stress on plants is NaCl-derived soil salinity. Genus Lotus comprises model and economically important species, which have been studied regarding physiological responses to salinity. Leaf area ratio (LAR), root length ratio (RLR) and their components, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf mass fraction (LMF) and specific root length (SRL) and root mass fraction (RMF) might be affected by high soil salinity. We characterised L. tenuis, L. corniculatus, L. filicaulis, L. creticus, L. burtii and L. japonicus grown under different salt concentrations (0, 50, 100 and 150 mm NaCl) on the basis of SLA, LMF, SRL and RMF using PCA. We also assessed effects of different salt concentrations on LAR and RLR in each species, and explored whether changes in these traits provide fitness benefit. Salinity (150 mm NaCl) increased LAR in L. burtii and L. corniculatus, but not in the remaining species. The highest salt concentration caused a decrease of RLR in L. japonicus Gifu, but not in the remaining species. Changes in LAR and RLR would not be adaptive, according to adaptiveness analysis, with the exception of SLA changes in L. corniculatus. PCA revealed that under favourable conditions plants optimise surfaces for light and nutrient acquisition (SLA and SRL), whereas at higher salt concentrations they favour carbon allocation to leaves and roots (LMF and RMF) in detriment to their surfaces. PCA also showed that L. creticus subjected to saline treatment was distinguished from the remaining Lotus species. We suggest that augmented carbon partitioning to leaves and roots could constitute a salt-alleviating mechanism through toxic ion dilution. © 2016 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.
The plant megafossil assemblage of the Early Miocene Ito-o Formation in Fukui Prefecture, Central Japan was first described based on reexamination of the materials used in its original introduction, as well as those collected after that report. The plant megafossils came from lacustrine deposits and consist of 23 genera and 35 species principally represented by riparian or lakeside elements inhabited near the site of deposition. The assemblage is composed exclusively of deciduous angiosperms with two evergreen conifers and a horsetail, most of which are common to the Daijima-type flora (late Early to early Middle Miocene) of Northeast Honshu and Hokkaido. From the absence of evergreen angiosperms as well as a common occurrence of deciduous oak, Quercus miovariabilis, it is comparable to the modern Mixed Broad-leaved Deciduous Forest of East Asia which develops under a condition with a mean annual temperature of 10 ℃ or higher. The flora was newly dated to 21.1 ± 0.8 Ma based on the 40Ar-39Ar method for the intercalated andesitic lava between the two plant-bearing strata. The age is concordant to the first appearance of the species common in the Daijima-type flora in the Early Miocene floras on the Pacific side of Japan. Judging from its age as well as its composition, the Ito-o flora was regarded as a transition during the interval between the earliest Miocene Aniai-type and the late Early Miocene Daijima-type flora, and represents a period of climate warming that occurred during that interval.
Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) is a perennial dehiscent species with an indeterminate growth habit. Pod shattering has been a major problem as seed loss is high due to the continuous flowering and time of pod maturity. The anatomy of the pod plays a role in pod shattering. A change in the orientation of the cells in the pericarp in which unequal swelling and shrinkage occur and a lower lignification of the mesocarp have been considered as major causes. The relative humidity (RH) at the time of harvest is also a major factor. The critical RH for dehiscence varies with genotypes between 35 and 49%. Pod dehiscence is uncorrelated with plants grown to maturity under green house conditions and the same plants grown in the field. Management practices (timing of the harvest, clipping early in the season, misting, mowing and turning the windrow during drying, desiccants) have not been successful to control pod shattering. Shattering resistance is a character of high heritability and in Lotus is considered to be controlled by more than one gene. Breeding to reduce shattering through recurrent selection has been unsuccessful. Attempts to transfer the indehiscent seed pod trait from distantly related indehiscent species via interspecific hybridization, diploid bridge species, amphidiploidy, and backcrossing to birdsfoot trefoil, or similarly by interspecific somatic hybridization, have shown promise. The molecular approach has so far not been attempted but since genetic transformation can be carried out in Lotus, this avenue should be investigated.
New records of Lotus hebranicus, L. lalambensis, L. laricus, L. torulosus, and L. discolor subsp. mollis are listed. The distribution of other species is discussed. A key to the species of the Lotus arabicus group is presented.
The variability in twenty morphological characters was studied in 54 local populations of the Lotus corniculatus L. complex in the European part of Russia and adjacent areas. Chromosome numbers were counted for samples taken from 15 locations. A tendency towards a clinal variation has been demonstrated for several characters, especially for leaflet indexes, indumentum density and flower length. Correlations between some morphological characters (leaflet size, indumentum density and others) and climate parameters have been revealed. On the basis of variability investigations and the results of a factor analysis, four species are distinguished in the complex occurring in the study area: L. krylovii Schischk. et Serg. (2n = 12), L. tenuis Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd. (2n = 12), L. ucrainicus Klok. (2n = 12), and L. corniculatus L. (2n = 24).
The genus Lotus comprises about 140 species and has major centres of diver-sity in the Mediterranean Region and in Macaronesia. The Lotus australis complex, however, is confined to Australia and some islands of Pacific Ocean. The present morphological study recognises four species of the complex, namely L. australis Andrews s.str. (Australia, Tasmania), L. pacificus Kramina & D.D. Sokoloff, sp. nov. (Ryukyu Is., Japan; Lanyu Is., Taiwan), L. anfrac-tuosus (Bak.f.) Kramina & D.D. Sokoloff, comb. et stat. nov. (Loyalty Is. and Île des Pins, New Caledonia; Aniwa Is., Vanuatu), and L. cruentus Court (Australia). Two new varieties are described: Lotus anfractuosus var. vanuatensis Kramina & D.D. Sokoloff, var. nov. and Lotus australis var. austroglaber Kramina & D.D. Sokoloff, var. nov. Disjunctive distribution of the L. aus-tralis complex could be explained by long distance dispersal rather than by vicariance. L. australis and L. cruentus, if compared to Mediterranean and Macaronesian species, possess many presumably plesiomorphic character states. However, we do not consider this fact as an indication of Australian origin of the genus Lotus. RÉSUMÉ Étude taxonomique du complexe Lotus australis (Leguminosae), en particulier dans les îles de l'océan Pacifique. Le genre Lotus inclut presque 140 espèces et a son centre de diversité dans la région méditerranéenne et en Macaronésie. Le complexe Lotus australis est cependant restreint à l'Australie et quelques îles de l'océan Pacifique. D'après les résultats de notre recherche morphologique nous distinguons quatre espèces dans le complexe examiné : L. australis Andrews s.str. (Australie, Tasmanie), L. pacificus Kramina & D.D. Sokoloff, sp. nov. (Île Ryukyu, Japon ; Île Lanyu, Taiwan), L. anfractuosus (Bak.f.) Kramina & D.D. Sokoloff, comb. ADANSONIA, sér. 3 • 2004 • 26 (2) : 171-197 © Publications Scientifiques du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris.
The name ‘Lotus maculatus Breitf.’ is shown not to have been validly published when Breitfeld first provided her description in 1973. The species, a critically endangered endemic of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, is described here, and the holotype selected. The plant is illustrated in colour, provided with line drawings of dissections, described in detail, and aspects of its relationships, cultivation and biology discussed.
A new species,Lotus digii, has been found in Morocco growing on the coastal sandy soils. Further localities are from Algeria and Egypt. It should be expected also in Libya.
The archipelago of Cape Verde consists of nine main islands of oceanic origin situated 500 km west of the African mainland. The present study aims at increasing our knowledge of the endemic vascular flora and its origin and evolution, and at providing a scientific basis for its protection. One endemic genus (Tornabenea) and 82 endemic species and subspecies were accepted, including one new species in Tornabenea (T. humilis) and three new combinations in Campylanthus and Kickxia. Morphological descriptions, illustrations, typifications, chromosome numbers, phyto- and ecogeographic information, and conservation status, based on field-, herbarium-, garden-, and literary studies, are provided. The degree of endemism was 10.5% at the species level. The endemic flora had a mixture of holarctic (65%, including I 5% in a NW-Moroccan element) and tropic (35%) affinities. Thirty-three Capeverdean endemics ( 40%) were most closely related to taxa with a Canaro-Madeiran distribution. The endemic flora was divided into five distributional elements (northern, western, southern, eastern, and ubiquitous; with 26, 21, I 5, 3, and 17 taxa. respectively) and three ecological elements (hygrophytic, mesophytic, and xerophytic; with 31, 34, and I 7 taxa, respectively). Although distributional patterns corresponded closely to geographic positions of island groups, the patterns could be sufficiently explained by ecological factors. Endemic species richness was strongly correlated with humidity and maximum island altitude. The tropic proportion decreased with increasing altitude and humidity. More than half of the endemic flora is presently threatened (Red List taxa), and 16 single-island extinctions were recorded.
The proportion of polyploids was 27% based on 63% of the endemics, which is similar to the proportion in the endemic Canarian flora. Most taxa (90%) were schizoendemic diploids or mesopolyploids, typically differentiated ecogeographically among islands and along humidity gradients. This pattern has frequently been complicated by parallel inter-island evolution along similar gradients, and many ecogeographically ubiquitous mesophytes showed large and complex interpopulational variation. In such cases, differentiation along continuous, steep, and tree-less coast-mountain gradients of humidity has resulted in eco-morphological clines of populations rather than classic adaptive radiation into distinct taxa.
Contrary to previous beliefs, we suggest that the present Capeverdean flora is very young, possibly only a few hundred thousand years old. It contains no palaeoendemics in the strict sense, only a single endemic genus, and most endemic taxa are only slightly differentiated morphologically from their sister groups. This conclusion is supported by recent geological, palaeontological, and molecular data. A possible scenario with origins and extinctions of successive Capeverdean floras is outlined, following the dramatic fluctuations between wet and dry climates in northern Africa during the Quaternary. The present flora was probably founded by two main waves of immigrants, both via dispersal from (north-)westem Africa, but in different climatic periods.
This paper critically reviews the status of the “lotus vines” (Lotus section Rhyncholotus) in the wild and in cultivation. The literature concerning the conservation status of this group is scattered and in many
places is not updated. Besides, the most recent efforts in conservation on this group have not been published in widely available
sources and are mainly published in Spanish. Our aims in this paper are to compile the most recent information regarding the
conservation status, studies on genetic diversity and the latest strategies for the conservation of this group. The four species
are all critically endangered in the wild. Two species (Lotus berthelotii and L. maculatus) are widely cultivated in Europe and North America but the range of genotypes in cultivation is likely to be small, as the
plants are propagated by cuttings. Hybrids between these two species are also in cultivation, and some have been patented.
Commercial horticulture has considerable implications for overall conservation strategies, and these implications are discussed.
We suggest that a circa situm conservation could improve the conservation strategies of these four species in the Canary Islands.
The aims of the present study were to elucidate the relationships of the New World Lotus species groups, subgenera Acmispon Raf. (sections Microlotus Benth. and Simpeteria Ottley), Hosackia Benth. and Syrmatium Vog., and to compare these results with previous classifications and recent morphological and molecular phylogenetic hypotheses. A numerical taxonomic study using unweighted pair-group arithmetic average clustering was performed. The phenogram was generated from 34 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) x 41 characters (four vegetative characters and the basic chromosome numbers, 16 epidermal traits and 20 reproductive characters). The epidermal microcharacters (epidermal cells, stomata, stomatal index and trichomes) are described and summarised for 18 species of Hosackia and Syrmatium, and the remaining characters were derived from the literature. Phenetic results resolved four groups of species which coincide with the new genera Acmispon, Hosackia Douglas ex Benth., Ottleya D.D.Sokoloff and Syrmatium proposed, having taken into consideration the most recent morphological and phylogenetic hypotheses.
In Australia two indigenous species of Lotus occur, viz. L. cruentus , which is only slightly variable, and the very polymorphous L. australis .
Both species are tetraploid with 2n = 28.
The pollen has the same general appearance as L. corniculatus and several other Lotus species.
The epidermis cells are clearly distinct from those of L. corniculatus .
L. australis is so polymorphous that a subdivision of the species is rather unsafe before comparative cultivation experiments and crossings have been undertaken. We think, however, that all four groups mentioned in the text form one interbreeding unit and therefore ought to be treated as one species.
A discussion on the phylogeny of the genus is illustrated by a diagram showing possible relationships.
Die vorliegende Arbeit ist der zweite Beitrag über Wuchsform-Analysen an zentraleuropäischen Grünland-Fabaceen1). Sie enthält eine Darstellung der Wuchsformen von einheimischen Stauden der Gattungen Lotus und Anthyllis an verschiedenen Standorten. Es wird nachgewiesen, daß wie bei Medicago und Trifolium zwischen der Wuchsform einerseits und der ökologischen Amplitude, der geographischen Verbreitung sowie der taxonomischen Stellung einer Spezies andererseits sippenspezifische Beziehungen bestehen. Die Wuchsformen werden deshalb als Realisierung ererbter, phylogenetisch entstandener, artspezifischer Reaktionsformen gesehen.
Pollen morphology was used to clarify some taxonomic differences in the classification of the Loteae tribe and the genus Lotus. The analysis of palynological data by numerical techniques indicated a clear taxonomic separation of many higher categories. Subgenera Syrmatium, Simpeteria and Acmispon were determined to be most closely related, while subgenus Hosackia is separate. Old World Lotus was found to be stenopalynous while New World Lotus was eurypalynous, thereby separating the species into two phytogeographical regions. Various taxonomic treatments were examined and Old World Lotus appeared to be more clearly defined than the relationships between the North American taxa. This is supported by the results of the palynological study. Some taxa considered as Lotus sensu stricto may require classification into other genera. The results indicated affinities within or between taxa the subgeneric and specific level which should aid in selecting possible taxa combinations for purposes of plant breeding and molecular studies.
Lotus corniculatus, birdsfoot trefoil, is a Eurasian perennial legume, popular in temperate climates for pasture or hay and silage production. Its ancestry is controversial. While innumerable studies of L. corniculatus and allied species have been published, comprehensive morphological, geographical, and genetic studies are still needed. Nevertheless, there is sufficient information for a provisional analysis of the origin and relationships of this important economical species. Although sometimes defined to have diploid populations, L. corniculatus essentially appears to be tetraploid. Biochemical and genetic evidence indicates that this species is an allotetraploid. Although about a dozen diploid species have been proposed as ancestral to L. corniculatus, the evidence points strongly to four of these species. Lotus uliginosus uniquely shares a rhizomatous habit, an acyanogenic factor, and a tannin characteristic with L. corniculatus, clearly showing an especially close relationship, and reflecting the possibility that it is one of two direct parental species. Principal candidates for a second parent include Lotus alpinus, Lotus japonicus, and Lotus tenuis. A phenetic analysis presented here accords well with the hypothesis favoured in this paper that L. corniculatus arose as a hybrid of L. tenuis and L. uliginosus. Cytogenetic evidence indicates that L. japonicus is especially closely related to L. corniculatus. Flower colour in the hybrids between L. uliginosus and L, tenuis suggest maternal inheritance and that L. tenuis could have been the female parent. An evolutionary sequence is suggested in which L. uliginosus hybridized with L. tenuis followed by introgression from L. alpinus and L. japonicus. Alternatively, a prototype of L. alpinus, L. japonicus, and L. tenuis could have been the female parent of L. corniculatus, based on evidence from maternal inheritance of flower colour intensity and interactions of Rhizobium strains.
Basic chromosome numbers in Lotus are x = 5, 6, and 7. It is considered that evolution has proceeded in the genus by means of a descending aneuploid series from an eight-chromosomed ancestor. Chromosome numbers for species of Tetragonolobus are based on x = 7. Somatic chromosome numbers are reported for 108 species and 38 varieties. The chromosome numbers for five species (L. hamatus Greene, 2n = 14, L. haydonii (Orcutt) Greene, 2n = 14, L. hintoniorum B.L. Turner, 2n = 14, L. mearnsii Britton, 2n = 14, L. utahensis Ottley, 2n = 14) and seven varieties (L. argophyllus (Gray) Green var. argenteus Dunkle, 2n = 14, L. dendroideus var. traskiae (Eastwood ex Noddin) Isely, 2n = 14, L. heermanii (Durand et Hilgard) Greene var. orbicularis (Gray) Isely, 2n = 14, L. junceus (Benth.) Greene var. biolettii (Greene) Ottley, 2n = 14, L. strigosus var. hirtellus (Greene) Ottley, 2n = 14, L. strigosus var. tomentellus (Greene) Isely, 2n = 14, L. uliginosus ssp. vestitus (Lange) A. Pedersen, 2n = 12) are reported for the first time. Natural diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid plants are reported for L. alpinus. Several species are reported as possessing B chromosomes. Mixoploidy is reported to occur in three species (L. alpinus, L. glacialis, L. glareosus). In addition, chromosome numbers are given for plants regenerated from calluses grown in tissue culture having both heteroploidy, euploidy, and mixoploidy. Root nodules are reported with tetraploid and octoploid cells in addition to the normal number of chromosomes. Trisomie series have been partially developed in L. tenuis and L. uliginosus. Polytene chromosomes were observed in suspensor cells of three species of Lotus. Feulgen cytophotometric measurements, to determine the DNA nuclear content, were made for 16 species of Lotus and one species of Tetragonolobus. The majority of the studies in Lotus concern the economic species L. corniculatus, L. tenuis, and L. uliginosus. Interspecific hybridization was carried out in different combinations between diploids, autoploids, and amphidiploids. Intergeneric hybrids were attempted by somatic hybridization, protoplast fusion, and asymmetric hybridization between Lotus and other species (Glycine max, Medicago sativa, Oryza sativa). Key words: chromosome numbers, DNA values, Fabaceae, Lotus species, interspecific hybrids, intergeneric hybrids, Tetragonolobus.
This paper describes the leaf epidermal characteristics of the New World species of Lotus L. subgenus Acmispon Raf. (Fabaceae: Loteae), computes their phenetic relationships based on morphological and anatomical characters, and compares these results with previous classifications and a recent phylogenetic hypothesis for the group based on morphological data. Leaves of 16 species of Acmispon were cleared and examined using light microscopy. Data on epidermal cells, stomata, stomatal index, and trichomes were described and summarized. To test the taxonomic value of epidermal characters and to ascertain phenetic relationships, we performed two numerical analyses using unweighted pair-group arithmetic average clustering. Results of the numerical analysis (16 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) x 13 epidermal characters) suggested that epidermal characteristics are insufficient to resolve sections Simpeteria and Microlotus. An additional analysis (16 OTUs x 23 characters) demonstrated that epidermal micromorphological features, together with other characters, are useful and informative for distinguishing these two sections. Results generated by the latter analysis accord well with earlier classifications and a previous phylogenetic hypothesis by showing that the sections Simpeteria and Microlotus are coincident with the two monophyletic subgroups Grandiflorus and Salsuginosus, respectively, inferred using cladistic analysis.
Stylodium morphology in 62 species of Lotus is studied. In Lotus creticus, a stylodium tooth is detected for the first time. Therefore, L creticus should be transferred from subgenus Edentolotus into the subgenus Pedrosia. L. cytisoides and L. longisiliquosus which were often indicated as scarcely distinguishable from L. creticus, are retained in the subgenus Edentolotus and can be easily separated from each other if L. creticus is excluded from the subgenus.
In 62 Arten der Gattung Lotus L. wurde die Morphologie der Griffel untersucht. Im Gegensatz zu früheren Untersuchungen wurde am Griffel von Lotus creticus L. ein Zahn gefunden. Folglich ist L. creticus aus der Untergattung Edentolotus in die Untergattung Pedrosia zu überführen. L. cytisoides und L. longisiliquosus, die gewöhnlich als von L. creticus kaum unterscheidbar gekennzeichnet werden, sind im Subgen. Edentolotus zu belassen, und sie sind leicht voneinander zu unterscheiden, wenn L. creticus aus der Untergattung Edentolotus ausgeschlossen wird.
A new genus, Ottleya gen. nov., is described from North America. The genus Ottleya corresponds to Lotus group Simpeteria of ISELY's (1981) classification and comprises 12 species: O. argyraea comb, nov., O. flexuosa comb. nov., O. grandiflora comb. nov., O. greenei comb. nov., O. intricata comb. nov., O. mearnsii comb. nov., O. nivea comb. nov., O. oroboides comb. nov., O. rigida comb. nov., O. strigosa comb, nov., O. utahensis comb. nov. and O. wrightii comb. nov. restricted to SW part of the USA, N and Central Mexico.Die neue Gattung, Ottleya gen. nov., aus Nordamerika wird beschrieben. Die Gattung Ottleya entspricht der Gruppe Simpeteria der Lotus in der Klassifikation von ISELY (1981) und besteht aus 12 Arten: O. argyraea comb. nov., O. flexuosa comb. nov., O. grandiflora comb. nov., O. greenei comb, nov., O. intricata comb. nov., O. mearnsii comb. nov., O. nivea comb. nov., O. oroboides comb. nov., O. rigida comb. nov., O. strigosa comb. nov., O. utahensis comb. nov. und O. wrightii comb. nov., die im Südwesten der USA, in Nord-und Mittel-Mexiko zu lokalisieren sind.
Aim To infer the temporal course and geographical mode of speciation in Mediterranean/Southwest Asian Nigella s. lat.
Location Mediterranean Basin, Aegean archipelago.
Methods Phylogenies for Nigella L. and Garidella L. (= Nigella s. lat.) were obtained from maximum‐likelihood analyses of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Diversification through time was analysed by log lineages‐through‐time (LTT) plots and survival analyses. Relative node age estimates were regressed against the degree of sympatry between sister clades to infer the predominant mode of geographical speciation in Nigella s. lat.
Results The Late Pleistocene radiation of the Nigella arvensis complex in the Aegean region caused a significant departure from a stochastic speciation/extinction process of diversification during the evolution of Nigella s. lat., a lineage of (at least) Late Miocene origin. Speciation within Nigella s. lat. predominantly took place in allopatry.
Main conclusions No significant effect on diversification rate was found regarding the establishment of a Mediterranean‐type climate, or the onset of the Quaternary climatic oscillations. Rather, the accelerated rate of speciation in the N. arvensis complex is plausibly related to increased opportunities for allopatric speciation afforded by the (palaeo)geographical complexity of the Aegean archipelago combined with Late Pleistocene changes in climate and sea level. The evolution of self‐pollination and associated changes in habitat preference and flowering time further augmented speciation and niche differentiation within the complex, but these changes did not act as the primary promoters of the radiation process.
The genus Lotus L. is a monophyletic group diagnosed by the possession of a standard claw with thickened infolded margin, stamens diadelphous, and the style hardened from the base. It comprises approximately 200 species distributed throughout the world. A cladistic analysis of the New World species was performed using 39 morphological and anatomical characters (29 from seed morphology and anatomy, 1 from plant habit, 1 from leaf morphology, 6 from flower morphology, and 2 from fruit morphology). Dorycnium, Edentolotus, Krokeria, and Pedrosia, of the Old World, and 28 species of the New World were considered terminal taxa. Tetragonolobus Scop. was chosen to root the cladograms and Dorycnium Mill. to reroot them. With Tetragonolobus the analysis yielded 15 equally parsimonious trees, each with a length of 74 steps, a consistency index of 0.62, and a retention index of 0.89. The 15 initial trees and the strict consensus tree defined 12 monophyletic groups. All terminal taxa form a monophyletic group diagnosed by the presence of a radicular lobe discernible to conspicuous (character 10); rim aril thick (character 13); stipules absent (character 31); and style simple and nondilated (character 36). The New World species form a monophyletic group on the basis of the seed relationship of length to width in hilar view 1.5:1 to 2:1 (character 5); micropyle linear-deltoid to bifurcate (character 19); and keel erostrate (character 33). Identical monophyletic groups were obtained when Dorycnium was used as root. These results are discussed in the context of data on cytology and morphology.
Lotus alianus J.H. Kirkbr., sp. nov., is described and illustrated. It is a rare endemic species from the Republic of Cape Verde, and is found in dry habitats on just two islands, Ilhas de Santo Antão and São Vicente. In addition, two species names are synonymized with L. creticus L., and a lectotype is designated for L. pseudocreticus Maire, Weiller & Wilczek. The distribution of L. jacobaeus L. is clarified as endemic to Cape Verde, and a neotype is designated for L. linearis Walp. Lotus oliveirae A. Chev. is the correct name for the species previously known as L. latifolius Brand.
(1) On the Canary Islands and Madeira typical bird-flowers occur in at least twelve species of six genera, although true flower-birds are absent. This inconsistency is in part elucidated by field observations on exotic and wild plants of Tenerife. —(2) In the Botanical Garden of Orotava it could be observed that various ornithophilous plants, which were introduced there, were visited by indigenous birds for nectar and in one case (Orthostemon) for food tissue. Of the three bird species involved, an endemic race of Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) and resident Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) exploit, and pollinate, flowers legitimously, while the Wild Canary (Serinus canaria) is predominantly a destructive nectar robber. —(3) The insular Chiffchaff also proved to be a regular pollinator in the wild, at least ofCanarina canariensis andIsoplexis canariensis, two ornithophilous paleoendemics. Ornithophily, thus, is naturally practised on the island, though by birds basically insectivorous. —(4) A list of Macaronesian plants bearing the more or less complete ornithophilous syndrome is presented, including newly recognizedTeucrium heterophyllum andScrophularia calliantha. —(5) On biogeographical and faunistic grounds it is presumed that the modern visitors of Canarian bird flowers are secondary rather than the original partners of the continental tertiary flora in which these plants originated. Palearctic immigrants, when becoming resident on the islands during and since the Pleistocene, adopted facultative nectar feeding, entering an orphaned food niche. Casual flower visits in Europe suggest a certain predisposition of the Chiffchaff and the Blackcap for the exploitation of flowers. — (6) The ability of unspecialized birds to acquire nectardrinking spontaneously and to pass this habit on to their offspring, is demonstrated by a population of Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) which have visited ornithophilousKniphofia (Liliaceae) in Berlin for several years.
The paper deals with some problems of distribution and variability of the speciesL. angustissimus L.,L. halophilus
Boiss. etSprun.,L. laricus
Rech. fil.,Aellen etEsfandiari, L.,schimperi
Steud.,L. compactus
Chrtková-Žertová,L. garcinii DC.
The pollen morphology of 81 taxa, comprised of 68 taxa ascribed to the genus Lotus and its segregates, 9 taxa to the genys Dorycnium, one taxon to Acmispon and three monotypic genera Podolotus, Pseudolotus and Vermifrux, has been studied with light and electron microscopy. The pollen is 3,4,5 (−6, −7)-zonocolporate, circular, elliptical or rectangular-elliptical in equatorial outline, small or medium in size, P × E = 11−38×7−38 μm. The colpi are long with lalongate endoapertures. The ornamentation is psilate or rugulate-fossulate, sometimes verrucate or striate. The exine 0.5–3 μm thick at the mesocolpium with the endexine thickened at the equator, thinner at the poles; the foot layer very thin or absent; the infratectum columellate; the columellae are sometimes almost granular often widely spaced with expanded bases; the tectum is thick. Three main pollen types are recognised and a number of subtypes. The primary basis for the division into types is aperture number and into subtypes is pollen size, shape, endoapertures and ornamentation. Lotus strigosus has pollen with 5–6(−7) apertures, and remarkable verrucate ornamentation. The pollen of the majority of the North American species is 4-aperturate, rugulate-fossulate but a few species placed in subgenus Acmispon (Ottley, 1923) and in the Microlotus-group by Isely (1981) have unusual striate ornamentation and species placed in subgenus Hosackia by Ottley and the Hosackia-group by Isely (1981) have 3-aperturate pollen. The Old World species show very little variation in pollen morphology being predominantly 3-aperturate, psilate. The pollen of the genera Benedictiella, Bonjeania, Dorycnium, Heinekenia and Tetragonolobus is indistinguishable from that of Lotus. Pollen morphologically the genera Podolotus, Pseudolotus, Vermifrux and the North African Acmispon roudairei differ slightly from each other and from Lotus. Pollen morphology is discussed in relation to the very complex taxonomy of the group and its relationships and evolution within the tribe and subfamily is briefly considered. Pollen morphology suggests that Lotus has a primary radiation in the Old World from a centre in the Mediterranean. The New World species are palynologically more specialised and here the data suggest a secondary radiation of the genus.
We examined data for 11 allozyme loci in 14 populations that represent the distribution of the endangered Lotus kunkelii, the narrowly distributed L. arinagensis (both endemic to Gran Canaria), and the broad-ranging L. lancerottensis (endemic to the easternmost Canary Islands, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) to explore and construe patterns of genetic variation and use this data to assess the controversial taxonomic status of L. kunkelii relative to L. lancerottensis. While L. kunkelii maintains low levels of variation, presumably as a consequence of prolonged inbreeding due to very low population size and sharp geographic isolation, the other two taxa have much higher indicators of polymorphism than those reported for other oceanic island endemics. Lotus arinagensis has the highest genetic polymorphism and the lowest interpopulation differentiation, presumably because of its considerable antiquity and habitat stability, despite recent fragmentation. The high interpopulation differentiation in L. lancerottensis is attributed to the Atlantic acting as a barrier, reducing gene flow within islands. Evolutionary analysis of the allozyme evidence indicates that L. kunkelii is genetically closer to L. arinagensis than to L. lancerottensis, thereby dispelling the taxonomic uncertainty and supporting L. kunkelii as a distinct species, warranting legal protection in the forthcoming catalog of threatened Canarian species.
An analysis was made of chromosome morphology and, by Feulgen cytophotometric measurements, of the nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of L. corniculatus and related diploid species of the L. corniculatus group (L. alpinus, L. borbasii, L. corniculatus var. brachyodon, L. filicaulis, L. japonicus, L. krylovii, L. pedunculatus, L. schoelleri, L. tenuis) and L. coimbrensis of the L. aegeus group. The idiogram of L. coimbrensis differed markedly from those for the species of the L. corniculatus group, which were considerably more uniform. Lotus pedunculatus was the only species with chromosomes bearing satellites. Since L. corniculatus has a somatic chromosome number of 24, compared to L. corniculatus var. brachyodon with 12, the latter represents a new diploid taxon which should receive further taxonomic study. DNA values differed between the species, and in general, total complement lengths were correlated with DNA values. It is suggested that classical karyotype analysis may not be a suitable meth...
Molecular phylogenetic analyses of Macaronesian Lotus and related genera were conducted to assess their biogeographic history and taxonomy. Macaronesian Lotus, which are typically classified within one of two subgenera, Lotus subgenus Pedrosia or L. subg. Rhyncholotus, are diagnosed by the presence of a forked or toothed style and differences in corolla morphology. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses of internal transcribed spacer sequences identify a well-supported northwest African-Cape Verde Island clade that includes all members of Lotus subgenus Pedrosia+L. subg. Rhyncholotus. There is modest support for two independently nested clades containing the Canary Island species and two non-Canarian species, Lotus assakensis from Africa and Lotus azoricus endemic to the Azores. Biogeographic reconstruction based on a parsimony topology unequivocally identifies an African origin for the Canary Island group with subsequent back dispersal to the African continent and a single dispersal event to the Azores. A phylogeographic assessment of colonization and diversification patterns suggests that geographic isolation via interisland colonization of ecologically similar habitats is the primary mode of species diversification in Canary Island Lotus.
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