Download Morphological and cytogenetical characterization of Vicia montbretii

Botanical Journal ofthe Linnean Society (1982), 85: 209-212. With 3 figures
Morphological and cytogenetical
characterization of Vicia rnontbretii Fisch. &
Mey. (Synonym:Lens montbretii (Fisch. & Mey.)
Davis & Plitmann)
G. LADIZINSKY
Hebrew University, Faculty of Agriculture,
Rehovot, Israel
AND
D. SAKAR
Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State University,
Pullman, Washington 99164, U.S.A.
Received June 1982, accepted f o r publication Juh 1982
Lenr montbretii has a diploid chromosome number of 2n= 12 whereas the remainder of the genus has
2n= 14. In addition there are marked karyotype differences. These, combined with morphological
characteristics which distinguish it from other species oflenr, are considered to be an adequate basis for
the returning of the taxon to the genus Vicia as V. montbretii Fisch. & Mey.
KEY W O R D S : 4 y t o l o g y - Fabaceae - Lenr montbretii - taxonomy.
CONTENTS
Introduction . .
Results and Discussion
Acknowledgements.
References. . .
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INTRODUCTION
Lens Miller is a small genus comprising five species (Barulina, 1930; Davis &
Plitmann, 1970), of which one, L. culinaris Medik, is a cultivated form. Lentils are
one of the oldest leguminous crops of the Middle East and even today are
important in West Asia, East and North Africa, South and North America and of
lesser importance in southern Europe. Recently we initiated a study to clarify the
potential of wild lentils as a source of genetic variation for improving the cultigen.
Since samples of wild species of lentil were scarce or totally absent in world and
private collections, two field excursions were undertaken, one in southern Europe
and one in Turkey, to collect seeds of the wild species from these areas. As a result
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0 1982 The Linnean Society of London
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G. LADIZINSKY AND D. SAKAR
of these we now possess a large number of accessions of wild species: L. orientalis
(Boiss. Hand. & Mass., L. nigricans (M. Bieb) Godr., L. ervoides (Brign) Grande,
and L. montbretii (Fisch. & Mey.) Davis & Plitmann.
As already pointed out (Williams, Sanchez & Jackson, 1974; Ladizinsky,
1979a), there is a great deal of morphological similarity between the cultivated
species and L. orientalis and L. nigricans. Lens ervoides is morphologically distinct
from these species and its seed protein profile deviates by the positions of four bands
(Ladizinsky, 1979b). Furthermore, L. culinaris, L. nigricans and L. orientalis are
cross-compatible with one another but we have not succeeded in hybridizing
L. ervoides with any of these species.
The taxonomic position of the fifth species of the genus, L. montbretii, is doubtful.
Davis & Plitmann (1970) indicated that it resembles Vicia mollis but they
provisionally placed it in the genus Lens because of its cleft calyx, style structure
and flattened seeds. Below, we give the results of a cytotaxonomical reappraisal at
the genus.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Lens montbretii is apparently a rare species. It was reported from a few locations
in southern Turkey and one location in northern Iraq. We were able to collect
seeds of this species in Turkey and to assess its taxonomic and genetic properties.
The seeds of L. montbretii were collected from two populations along the road from
Adiyaman to Diyarbakir; one was located about 17 km E of the Ephratus river,
the other was located 5 km W of Karacadag. In both locations L. montbretii was
found on basaltic soil. The first population was particularly extensive and was
found near the edges of a field, as a weed in a chickpea field, and also in a dense
stand in a fallow field. The second L. montbretii population was found in an
uncultivated area among wild wheat and barley and wild chickpeas (Cicer
echinospermum Davis and C. bijugum Rech).
Lens montbretii is a villose, sericeous, procumbent, annual plant, with sturdy stems
150-300mm (under good growing conditions it exhibits a climbing habit and
reaches 1.O m or more).
Leaves with terminal branched tendril, 6-10 pairs of leaflets (Fig. 1) and
semihastate stipules. Peduncle 1 (-2)-flowered, shorter than leaves. Calyx 5-6 mm
with villous teeth, 1.5 x tube. Corolla whitish, a little longer than the calyx.
Legume broadly rhomboid-oblong, 18-25 mm x 8-10 mm, densely pubescent, 1-2seeded. Seeds brownish black, globular-oval, 5-6 mm diameter x 2.5-3 mm thick.
Herbarium specimens of L. montbretii collected by us are deposited in the
Department of Field and Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew
University, Rehovot, Israel.
Morphologically, L. montbretii deviates from the rest of the Lens species in leaf
shape and size, calyx teeth which are only 1.5 times as long as the tube, a more
robust style with a globose stigma and in its relatively large rhomboid pod with
globular seeds (Table 1). The flattened seed of L. montbretii described by Davis &
Plitmann (1970) is apparently due to the partial maturity of the specimen
examined by them.
The chromosome number of L. montbretii is 2n= 12. The haploid karyotype is
composed of one large submetacentric chromosome, a smaller submetacentric with
secondary constriction, one acrocentric, two telocentric chromosomes of similar
CHARACTERIZATION OF VICIA MONTBRETII
21 1
Figures 1 & 2. Fig. 1. Leaf flower pod and seeds of I,. montbretii; scale bar equivalent to 12 mm. Fig.
2. Mitotic chromosomes of I,. montbretii; scale bar equivalent to 5pm.
size and a shorter telocentric (Fig. 2 ) . All other Lens species have 2n= 14 and a
similar karyotype which consists of three pairs of metacentric or submetacentric
chromosomes, three acrocentrics and one pair of chromosomes with a secondary
constriction. I n the latter chromosome, the secondary constriction is very close to
the centromere while in L. montbretii the constriction is near the arm end, and the
chromosome has a small satellite (Fig. 3 ) .
The crossability potential of L. montbretii with the other Lens species was assessed
by hand-crossing. At least 50 crosses were performed with each of the species
L. culinaris, L. orientalis, L. nigricans and L. ervoides, but no hybrid seeds were
obtained nor was any pod development observed. As already mentioned,
interspecific hybrids are easily obtained between L. culinaris, L. orientalis and
L. nigricans. After crossing L. eruoides with these three species, pod and embryo
development was initiated but was arrested 2 weeks later and finally the pods and
embryos collapsed.
The conspicuous morphological and cytogenetical deviation of L. montbretii from
Table 1. The principal morphological differences between L. montbretii and other
Lens species
Morphological feature
I.ens montbretii
Other Lens species
Pubescence
Leaflets
Tendrils
Calyx teeth/tube
Style
Pod size (mm)
Seeds
Densely pubescent
6-10 pairs
Branches
1.5
Club shaped
18-25x8-10
Globular, ellipsoid
Glabrous or slightly pubescent
2-7 pairs
Simple
2-4
Rod shaped
6 14x4-7
Flattened
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G. LADIZINSKY AND D. SAKAR
Figure 3. Karyotypes of I.. culinaris (C),I.. nigricans (N) and I,. montbretii ( M ) ; scale bars in each case
equivalent to 5 pm.
the other Lens species demonstrated here casts doubt as to whether this taxon
should remain in the genus Lens. We therefore suggest that I,. rnontbretii should be
returned to the genus Vicia as V . montbretii Fisch. & Mey.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was supported by a grant from the United States
Binational Agricultural Research & Development Fund (BARD).
-
Israel
REFERENCES
BARULINA, H., 1930. Lentils of the U.S.S.R and of other countries. Bulletin of Appfied Botany and Plant Breeding
Supplement, 40: 1-319.
DAVIS, P. E. & PLITMANN, U., 1970. Lens Miller. In P.H. Davis (Ed.), Flora .f Turkey, 3: 325 328.
LADIZINSKY, G., 1979a. The origin of lentil and its wild gene pool. Euphytica, 28: 179-187.
LADIZINSKY, G., 197913. Species relationships in the genus Lens as indicated by seed protein electrophoresis.
Botanical Gazette, 140: 449-151.
WILLIAMS, J. T., SANCHEZ, M. C. &JACKSON, T., 1974. Studies on lentils and their variation, I. The
taxonomy of the species. The Sociep f o r the Advancement of Breeding Researches in Asia and Oceania, 6: 133 145.
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