Biomorphology of species of the genus Trifolium L. in the Russian Far East
Valentina KALINKINA
Botanical Garden-Institute FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia
The range of many species in the genus Trifolium has expanded as a result of their
use as agricultural crops. Within the territory of the Russian Far East there are 15 species
of the genus Trifolium, of which 11 are exotic and only 4 are native. Species
are morphologically herbaceous mono- or polycarpic, and are differentiated on the
basis of above- and belowground parts. In the aboveground parts of Far Eastern
species of the genus we have identified two types of shoots: extended (T. arvense)
and semi-rosette (T. pratense, T. repens). Structural and biomorphological analysis
of the belowground parts showed that there are species (T. lupinaster, T. pacificum,
T. gordejevii), characterized by a high degree of multiplicity and ability to
adapt to changing environmental conditions. Due to fluctuations in environmental parameters
of habitat (moisture content, soil structure) species with taproots after
the transition to adult vegetative or generative age states convert to fibrillose root
or rhizomatous structure. Multiplicity is primarily typical for perennial species of
the genus in question, but there are a number of annual clovers, which are also
capable of changing their biomorphological structure. These species include
T. compestre, the direction of the shoot growth of which depends on the light
conditions in its habitat. Using multivariate classification as proposed by Zhukova
(2012), we identified 3 types and 2 subtypes and a multiplicity of life forms of
species of the genus Trifolium in the Russian Far East: structural (morphological,
size-related), reproductive, and environmental. There are also species, the life
form of which does not change. Such species we characterize as monomorphic.
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