Anthyllis

Taxonomy

Anthyllis C. Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 719. 1 Mai 1753.

Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.13.02.
Tribe: Loteae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 19 studied; 20–25 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 0.4–1.3 cm long; 0.2–0.5 cm wide; 0.1–0.2 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with deciduous calyx, or persistent calyx; with calyx longer than fruit; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments, or with orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight, or 1-coiled; not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; linear, or coiled; with both sutures parallelly curved, or 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near middle or D-shaped; inflated; compressed, or terete; without beak, or with beak; with solid beak the same color and texture as fruit; short tapered at apex, or rounded at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base, or rounded at base; right angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous, or fragile, thinner than chartaceous, like Trifolium (area of "dehiscences"); seed chambers externally visible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin not constricted, or constricted; margin slightly constricted along both margins; margin without sulcus; margin plain, or embellished; margin with wing(s); wing(s) absent, or present; wing(s) 1; wing(s) 0.5 mm wide; wing(s) sutural; wing(s) on 1 suture; nonstipitate, or stipitate; indehiscent, or with all layers dehiscing (tardily); opening by deterioration of delicate strip of tissue along inner suture or both sutures. Dehiscence of valves along 1 suture; medial and up and down; passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull, or semiglossy; monochrome; brown, or tan; with surface texture uniform, or not uniform, with patches of different texture not restricted to the base and apex; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; reticulately veined; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thin; surface not veined; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; coriaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate, or septate; with septa thin (tissue paper-like), flexible; chartaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; without wings, or with wing(s) extending into epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–3; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus of 1 length only; filiform; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 1.7–3.5 mm long; 1–3 mm wide; 1–2 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular, or angular; asymmetrical, or symmetrical (except hilum); oblong, or mitaform, or triangular; compressed, or terete; with surface smooth; without visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; without hilar sinus; without umbo on seed faces; without medial ridge on each face. Cuticle not exfoliating; not inflated; not wrinkled. Testa present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome, or mottled and streaked; with frequent mottles; with frequent streaks; brown, or tan, or green; with purple overlay; glabrous; smooth, or not smooth; with elevated features; shagreen, or wrinkled, or tuberculate; coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; with faboid split; with the lips of the faboid split the same color as the rest of the hilum; punctiform; between cotyledon and radicle lobe; flush; within rim; rim color slightly darker than testa. Lens discernible; with margins straight, or curved; wedge-shaped; elliptic, or hourglass or dumbbell-shaped; not in groove of raphe; confluent with hilum; mounded; dissimilar color from testa; darker than testa; reddish brown; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thin; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; covering entire embryo; adnate to testa. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; similar at apex; not concealing radicle; entire over radicle; without lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; tan; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis deflexed; oblique to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear; lobe tip straight; deflexed and parallel to cotyledon length; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons, or 1/2 to nearly length of cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Mediterranean region, Extending into Europe, Atlantic islands, and North Africa.

Old World; Europe to Mediterranean to Russia to Africa to Southwest Asia to Macaronesia (northeastern Africa).

Generic Notes

Polhill (1981k) noted that Anthyllis and Lotus (13.07) seem to be closely related to Hammatolobium (13.17). Polhill also noted that Cytisopsis (13.01) may be combined with Anthyllis. Tripodion (13.03), previously A. tetraphylla C. Linnaeus, was not discussed by Polhill. Anthyllis vulneraria C. Linnaeus is a variable species with many subspecies and some economic value. Some species, but not A. vulneraria, possess fruits with unusual dehiscences. Either the lower or both sutural areas have much thinner fruit tissue, and this tissue easily ruptures gradually exposing the seeds in situ. Eventually the seeds fall free from one or both valves.

Tribal Notes

Tribe Loteae

In 1981, Polhill (1981k) accepted much broader generic circumscriptions in tribe Loteae, and only accepted four genera in the tribe: Cytisopsis, Anthyllis (13.02), Hymenocarpus (13.04), and Lotus (13.07). In his most recent classification of Fabaceae (Polhill, 1994a, 1994b), he combined tribes Loteae and Coronilleae and accepted six segregate genera in Loteae, s.s.: Tripodion (13.03), Dorycnopsis (13.05), Dorycnium (13.06), Podolotus J.F. Royle (13.08), Pseudolotus K.H. Rechinger (13.09), and Vermifrux (13.10).