Corresponding author: Anna Scoppola (
Academic editor: L. Peruzzi
In this paper, we focused our attention on the taxonomy and distribution in Italy of taxa belonging to
Scoppola A, Lattanzi E, Bernardo L (2016) Distribution and taxonomy of the Italian clovers belonging to
The genus
Based on the more recent classification of the genus, derived from molecular phylogenetic evidence (
There is a wealth of literature on the European
Among the classical studies, the monograph by
Main taxonomical treatments of the
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Currently,
The gaps in knowledge and doubts indicated in the reports over the years concerning the units of the group clearly denote their problematic identification. More specifically, ‘Flora d’Italia’ (
This paper is part of a broader research aimed at updating the distributional range and taxonomy of the Italian clovers. In particular, the aim of this study was to provide new chorological data on
This study is based on analysis of relevant literature, including protologues, field surveys and examination of herbarium specimens kept in
We collected flowering and fruiting samples of Decimal Degrees
The geographical arrangement of each species involved in this study has been updated. It refers to the Italian administrative regions and uses the following symbols, according to
Based on our observations of fresh and dry material and of several digital images, we found that the following characters are crucial for the identification of
The studied clovers are annual species with a spring-summer cycle, inhabiting grassy places among shrubs, roadsides, field margins and other dry fallow lands.
The study resulted in five new regional occurrences and 16 changes of presence status.
Flowering head of
Comparison between mature calyces of
(holotype indicated by
Heads large; fruiting calyx ovoid with thick, longitudinal nerves all along, closed-spaced, transverse veins slightly visible; corolla > than twice as long as the calyx tube, seeds ovoid, light brown and dark mottled (Figures
Friuli Venezia-Giulia: 0A, Liguria: 0A, Campania: + (new), Basilicata: + (new), Calabria: + (new), Sicily: - (new).
The identity and autonomy of the name
The delimitation, status and distribution of
The sole report of this species from Sicily (provisionally treated as
(holotype indicated by
Heads large, fruiting calyx tubular, longitudinal nerves barely visible in the distal portion; corolla > than twice as long as the calyx tube, seeds irregularly ovoid, light brown (Figures
Liguria: 0A, Tuscany: +A (new), Umbria: +A (new), Lazio: +A (new), Campania: 0 (new), Apulia: +, Basilicata: 0 (new), Calabria: +, Sicily: +.
Species endemic to the Mediterranean area (
Here, we report it for the first time in central Italy both in the countryside south of Manciano (Grosseto), where it was found to be abundant in fallow and resting fields as well as wood edges, and in the outskirts of Castel Giorgio and of Orvieto (Terni), not far from the Lazio border, where it was observed in small populations of fallow fields and roadsides. In both stations, together with the one recently reported in Lazio (
Finally, the current presence of
(holotype indicated by
Heads small; fruiting calyx inflated, calyx teeth with ciliolate base; longitudinal veins numerous; corolla longer than calyx. Seeds brown (
Calabria: - (new), Sicily: - (new).
Described from the Province of Izmir in Turkey, it is probably an eastern Mediterranean endemic naturally occurring only in Turkey and Greece, although many sources suggest it has a wider distribution based on its assumptive synonymy with
(lectotype designated by
Flowering heads small (15-20 mm); fruiting calyx vesicular-turbinate, netted-nerved; corolla short, slightly protruding from the calyx (Figure
Liguria: 0 (new), Tuscany: 0 (new), Marche: 0, Lazio: +, Abruzzo: 0 (new), Campania: 0 (new), Apulia: 0 (new), Basilicata: 0 (new), Calabria: +, Sicily: +, Sardinia: +.
It is a widespread steno-Mediterranean thermophilous and xerophilous species, especially found in dry uncultivated lands of coastal areas. It was described on the basis of collections made in Italy and France. Based on our data, the distribution in Italy is very fragmented and in decline, especially in the central regions. A similar depletion has been reported in southern France where the species is classified as naturalized over most of the territory (
The Apulian material dating back to the 1970s, deposited in
(‘lectotype’ designated by
Flowering heads large; fruiting calyx vesicular, turbinate, shining, netted-nerved, calyx teeth with base not ciliolate; corolla longer than calyx, seeds sub-globular, light brown (Figures
Tuscany: +, Umbria: +, Lazio: +, Abruzzo: +, Campania: +, Apulia: 0 (new), Basilicata: 0 (new), Calabria: 0 (new), Sicily: 0 (new), Sardinia: +.
It is a Mediterranean species growing from southern to central Europe on fertile, well-drained soils. This clover is cultivated on a large scale for forage and has a good ability of self-sowing because of the high production of hard seeds (
This species is considered as occurring in Calabria by
The presence of the species by
1 | Fruiting calyx inflated, more or less vesicular, turbinate and shining (Figure |
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– | Fruiting calyx tubular or oblong to ovate, not or slightly inflated, opaque and rigid, never vesicular (Figure |
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2 | Flowering heads small (15–20 mm), ovoid; bracts broad and shorter than the calyx tube; standard slightly protruding from the calyx (< than twice the tube length), straight after anthesis; leaflets obovate to rhombic, truncate to retuse at apex |
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– | Flowering heads larger, dense, bracts narrower and as long as the calyx tube; standard longer than calyx (≥ than twice the tube length), deflexed after anthesis; leaflets elliptic to obovate, acute, mucronulate |
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3 | Calyx tube oblong, cylindrical, not narrowed at throat in fruit, with longitudinal veins slightly visible only in the distal portion (below the teeth) |
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– | Calyx tube ovoid, slightly narrowed at throat in fruit, with many longitudinal, thick nerves all along, generally very closed spaced; transverse veins not visible or slightly, thick and forming very small and regular meshes |
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4 | Calyx teeth lanceolate-subulate with base not ciliolate, fruiting tube vesicular, turbinate, shining, clearly netted-nerved, with wide meshes; terminal heads larges (25–45 × 20–35mm), globular to ovate, elongating in fruit; leaflets large, elliptic, acute or mucronulate |
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– | Calyx teeth subulate-setaceus, with base ciliolate; fruiting tube inflated, white, thin walled, not vesicular; longitudinal veins numerous, transverse ones slightly visible; terminal and axillary heads smaller (20–25 × 15–20), ovate-globular to ovoid in fruit; leaflets obovate-cuneate with a terminal spiny mucro |
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Our study has shown that knowledge on the distribution of clovers belonging to
Regional distribution maps of the concerned species.
The delimitation and status of
Based on a careful examination of the floral details of the relevant material of
Finally,
We are grateful to A. Santangelo, P. Medagli, V. Tomaselli, L. Cecchi, R. Marcucci, S. Peccenini, R. Wagensommer, A. Croce, G. Domina, F. Conti, F. Bartolucci, A. Millozza, L. Rosati, R. Galesi, and G. Veronico for useful information; to Directors and Curators of some quoted Herbaria for their support during our visit, for loans or scanned images. We also thank F. Manzano Gutierrez, A. Nizzoli and M. Pellegrino for high-resolution digital images of floral details, to G. Cannata for the online literature review and to F. Bartolucci and two anonymous reviewers for their detailed revisions that greatly improved the manuscript.