Basic characteristics of taxa in the
genus Lupinus L.
Successes in genetic
studies and breeding practice depend on the availability of a well-developed
phylogenic system of a genus. Regretfully enough, by now there is no
comprehensive monographic and systematic review
of Lupinus L. The presence of such a breach may be explained
by inaccessibility of the habitats of the American lupin species, large
variability and weak differentiation of characters in lupins, and intricacy of
their classifications. As a result, it is still unknown how many species of
lupin exist in the nature. This circumstance hampers the solution of numerous
theoretical and practical problems.
Each form of lupin can be assessed as an
object fitting in with a number of consecutive taxa.
A taxon is a part of plant
community consisting of a certain set of individual plants distinguished
according to genetic principle by the uniformity of their genesis, and regarded
as a formal unit at any level of hierarchic classification. Basic
characteristics of the genus Lupinus L.
and its taxa are presented in the Table.
This genus is the principal object
of our research. Geographic differences between the New and
Allelism and character complementarity
tests have shown that in lupins the color of seed is correlated with the color of the corolla.
This linkage reflects the stability of genetic system, which corresponds to the
rank of varieties (var.). A good diagnostic character is the color of
vegetative parts, and the absence or presence of anthocyan,
in particular. Being less stable, it could be used in identifying subvarieties (subvar.).
Considerable practical interest for breeders may be generated by the plants
with determinate branching, fascicular stem and other characters of breeding
value. Such forms are theoretically possible in all the varieties and subvarieties systematized by us. Therefore, it seems
justified to regard them in the rank of forma (f.). The
detailed characteristics and indices of the genus Lupinus L. are presented also in the section «Description».
Table. The basic characteristics of taxa in the genus Lupinus L.
Taxa
|
The main characteristics and indices |
Genus
(gen.) |
Area. Main morphological
characteristics of the genus: The leaf is palmate compound, set on a long petiole. The inflorescence is polyanthous apical truss. The corolla of flowers is zygomorphic and papilionaceous.
The pod is round or flat, coriaceous, straight or
curved. The ovary has two, four or more seedbuds.
(More detailed report was presented in the previous section «Description»). |
|
Subgenus (subgen.) |
Area; quantity of ovules and seedbuds in the ovary; degree of development of the embryo and endosperm
in seed; shape of cotyledons and pods; definite range of variation in the
chromosome number; way of pollination; cycle of development; type of
branching; definite range of variation in protein fractions. |
|
Species (sp.) |
Area; crossability; ability to produce
fertile progeny with constant inheritance of the characters of both parents;
identity of the karyotype. System of morphological, anatomic, cytological, caryological, paleobotanical,
ontogenetic, biochemical, physiological, geographical, genetic and other
characters (Vavilov, 1931, 1965) |
|
Subspecies
(subsp.) |
Growing area or natural habitat; definite range variation in the shape
and color of vegetative and generative organs; pubescence, shape and color of
seed. |
|
Variety (var.) |
Color of the seed coat in correlation with the color of the corolla. |
|
Subvariety
(subvar.) |
Coloring of the cotyledons, vegetative organs, edge of the carina, and
the presence/absence of anthocyan. |
|
Form (f.) |
Determinate branching, fascicular stem, and other characters of
breeding value. |
The genus Lupinus L. and, in particular, its North-American species, were divided by Watson (1873) into three parts: Lupinus, Platycarpos and Lupinnelus. Differences in
habit and in the number of ovules was accepted as the basis for this classification.
The majority of perennial and annual
species from the American continent described by Watson was referred to Lupinus. To the Platycarpos section were attributed some annual species with
two ovules in the ovary and two seeds in the pod (L. densiflorus Benth., L. micricarpus Sims. and others).
Section Lupinnelus consisted of one species (L. uncialis),
with axillary and solitary flowers, scarcely reflexed banner, and also with two ovules in the ovary.
Presently, the existence of such species seems doubtful.
This principle of classification was
extended by Ascherson and Graebner (1907) to all lupins from the eastern and western
hemispheres. Genus Lupinus L. was for the first time subdivided into two subgenera: A.
Eulupinus and B. Platycarpos (Ascherson and Graebner, 1907). Quantity
of ovules (seedbuds) in the
ovary and seeds in the pod was also accepted as the criterion for this
division. Majority of the described species from the eastern and western
hemispheres were referred to subgenus A. Eulupinus. Subgenus B. Platycarpos
included several annual species from the eastern hemisphere with two seedbuds and seeds in the bean (the same species, as the
one specified by Watson).
These works were a starting point for our
researches. In connection with the definition of
two secondary centers of formation of different species of lupin in the eastern
and western hemispheres, and also with the essential morphological differences
between lupins of the two hemispheres (Tab.1), we managed to revise the volumes
of two subgenera in the genus Lupinus L.
according to the geographic principle, however in view of the findings of the
previous writers. Subgen. Platycarpos (Wats.)
Kurl.
in our new combination integrates the numerous
perennial and annual species from the western hemisphere, both
groups having two, four and more seedbuds in the
ovary, while subgen.
Lupinus L. includes 11 species from
the Mediterranean region and
I. Subgen. Platycarpos (Wats.)
Kurl.,
comb.nova.- §2. Platycarpos Wats.
1873, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci. 8:522; B. Platycarpos Aschers. et Graebn.
1907, Mitteleurop. Fl. 6,2:232. - §1. Lupinus Wats. 1873, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci. 8:522, p.p.; A. Eulupinus Aschers. et Graebn. 1907, Mitteleurop.
Fl. 6,2:221 p.p. –
The ovary contains two, four and more seedbuds. The seed are predominantly small-sized, with an
underdeveloped embryo and small amount of endosperm. Cotyledons are
small-sized, with long caulicles. The first pair of true leaves is alternate.
The stem is predominantly naked with waxen coating. Dominating is the monopodial type of branching. Leaflets are smooth, with
waxen coating or slight pubescence, predominantly narrow. Pods are flat or
orbicular, with two or more seeds.
Represented by frutcuilose, fruticose and
herbaceous perennial forms, or less often annual ones. Plants are
cross-pollinated.
2n = 36, 48,
96.
The type of
subgenus: L. densiflorus Benth.
Geographic
distribution: North, Central and
This subgenus includes several hundreds of
species (from 200 up to 1000) requiring further analysis of their authenticity.
In the following subsection we have presented the descriptions of 34 most
studied species from this subgenus.
II. Subgen. Lupinus - A. Eulupinus Ascers. et Graebn. 1907,
Mitteleurop. Fl. 6,2:221, p.p. -
The ovary has at least four
or more seedbuds. The seed are
predominantly large, with the well-developed embryo, without endosperm.
Cotyledons are large, with a short caulicles. The first pair of true leaves is
opposite. The stem is always pubescent; dominating type of branching is sympodial. Leaflets are pubescent to different extent; they
are predominantly broad, and only one species (L.angustifolius L.) has
narrow leaflets. Pods are orbicular, with four and more seeds.
Represented by annual
herbaceous forms. Plants are self-pollinated; some of them are
predisposed to cross-pollination.
2n = 32,
36, 38, 40, 42, 50, 52.
The type of subgenus: L.
albus L.
Geographic distribution:
Mediterranean region and
This subgenus includes 11 species:
1. L. albus L. 1753,
2. L. angustifolius L. 1753,
3. L. micranthus Guss. 1828, Fl. Sic. Prodr. 2:440.
4. L.
luteus L. 1753, Sp. Pl.:722.
5. L. hispanicus Boiss.
et Reut. 1842,
Diagn. Pl. Nov. Hisp. 10.
6. L. cosentinii Guss 1828, Fl.
Sic. Prodr. 2:440.
7. L.
digitatus Forsk. 1775, Fl. Aegypt.:131.
8. L. princei Harms, 1901, Bot. Jahrb.
28:401.
9. L.
pilosus Murr. 1774, Syst. Veg. ed 13:545.
10. L. palaestinus
Boiss. 1849, Diagn.
Pl. Or. Nov. 9:9.
11. L. atlanticus
In our
opinion, it is debatable to reckon L. somaliensis Baker (Baker, 1895, Bull.
You can read the results of our
researches in more detail in the offered
book:
All materials of the book are here!
Intraspecific Diversity of white, narrow-leafed and yellow Lupins on - http://lupindiversity.blogspot.com/