Incubator escapee wiki

Medicago

Article Discussion

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File:Medicago sp.jpg
Anatomical diagram of Medicago flowers.

Medicago is a genus of flowering plants, commonly known as medick or burclover, in the legume family (Fabaceae). It contains at least 87 species and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean Basin,<ref name = "Steele">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name = "Gholami">Template:Cite journal</ref> and extending across temperate Eurasia and sub-Saharan Africa.<ref name = powo/> The best-known member of the genus is alfalfa (M. sativa), an important forage crop,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the genus name is based on the Latin name for that plant, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, from Template:Langx Median (grass).<ref>New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd ed., 2005), p. 1054, s.v. medick.</ref> Most members of the genus are low, creeping herbs, resembling clover, but with burs (hence the common name). However, alfalfa grows to a height of 1 meter, and tree medick (M. arborea) is a shrub. Members of the genus are known to produce bioactive compounds such as medicarpin (a flavonoid) and medicagenic acid (a triterpenoid saponin).<ref name = "Gholami" /> Chromosome numbers in Medicago range from 2n = 14 to 48.<ref name = "Rosato">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The species Medicago truncatula is a model legume<ref name = "Medicago">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> due to its relatively small stature, small genome (450–500 Mbp), short generation time (about 3 months), and ability to reproduce both by outcrossing and selfing.

Comprehensive descriptions of the genus are Lesinš and Lesinš 1979<ref name = "Lesinš">Template:Cite book</ref> and Small and Jomphe 1989.<ref name = "S&J">Template:Cite journal</ref> Major collections are SARDI (Australia),<ref name = "SARDI">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> USDA-GRIN (United States),<ref name = "GRIN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> ICARDA (Syria),<ref name = "ICARDA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and INRA (France).<ref name = "INRA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

EvolutionEdit

Medicago diverged from Glycine (soybean) about 53–55 million years ago (in the early Eocene),<ref name = "Cannon">Template:Cite book</ref> from Lotus (deervetch) 49–51 million years ago (also in the Eocene),<ref name = "Cannon" /> and from Trigonella 10–22 million years ago (in the Miocene).<ref name = "Maureira-Butler">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Ecological interactions with other organismsEdit

Symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobiaEdit

Béna et al. (2005) constructed a molecular phylogeny of 23 Sinorhizobium strains and tested the symbiotic ability of six strains with 35 Medicago species.<ref name = "Béna1">Template:Cite journal</ref> Comparison of these phylogenies indicates many transitions in the compatibility of the association over evolutionary time. Furthermore, they propose that the geographical distribution of strains limits the distribution of particular Medicago species.

Agricultural usesEdit

Agronomic research has been conducted on species of the Medicago genus. Other than alfalfa, several of the prostrate members of the family (such as Medicago lupulina and Medicago truncatula) have been used as forage crops.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Select species in the Medicago genus naturally develop spiney pods during the reproductive phase of growth (such as Medicago intertexta and Medicago polymorpha). Despite having high levels of agronomic performance, these are typically viewed as undesirable in sheep based farming systems due to their ability to become lodged in wool, reducing fleece value.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Breeding efforts in the 1990's have yielded spineless varieties of burr medic, providing valuable production amongst farming systems in low rainfall (<300mm annual), free draining, alkaline soils.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Insect herbivoresEdit

Medicago species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the common swift, flame, latticed heath, lime-speck pug, nutmeg, setaceous Hebrew character, and turnip moths and case-bearers of the genus Coleophora, including C. frischella (recorded on M. sativa) and C. fuscociliella (feeds exclusively on Medicago spp.).Template:Citation needed

SpeciesEdit

This list is compiled from:<ref name = "S&J" /><ref name="ILDIS1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ILDIS2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="USDA GRIN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="IPNI">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="AgroAtlas">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#if:183622 | {{#invoke:template wrapper|wrap|_template=cite web|_exclude=id,ID,taxon 

 | url = https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=183622
 | title = Medicago
 | publisher = Integrated Taxonomic Information System
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Section BucerasEdit

Subsection DeflexaeEdit

Subsection ErectaeEdit

Subsection IsthmocarpaeEdit

Subsection ReflexaeEdit

Section CarstiensaeEdit

Section DendrotelisEdit

Section GeocarpaEdit

Section HeynianaeEdit

Section HymenocarposEdit

Section LunataeEdit

Section LupulariaEdit

Section MedicagoTemplate:AnchorEdit

Section OrbicularesEdit

Section PlatycarpaeEdit

Subsection RotataeEdit

Section SpirocarposEdit

Subsection IntertextaeEdit

Subsection LeptospireaeEdit

Subsection PachyspireaeEdit

Species names with uncertain taxonomic statusEdit

The status of the following species is unresolved:<ref name = "S&J" />

  • Medicago agropyretorum Vassilcz.
  • Medicago alatavica Vassilcz.
  • Medicago caucasica Vassilcz.
  • Medicago cyrenaea Maire & Weiller
  • Medicago difalcata Sinskaya
  • Medicago grossheimii Vassilcz.
  • Medicago gunibica Vassilcz.
  • Medicago hemicoerulea Sinskaya
  • Medicago karatschaica (A. Heller) A. Heller
  • Medicago komarovii Vassilcz.
  • Medicago meyeri Gruner
  • Medicago polychroa Grossh.
  • Medicago schischkinii Sumnev.
  • Medicago talyschensis Latsch.
  • Medicago transoxana Vassilcz.
  • Medicago tunetana (Murb.) A.W. Hill
  • Medicago vardanis' Vassilcz.
  • Medicago virescens Grossh.

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Recent molecular phylogenic analyses of Medicago indicate that the sections and subsections defined by Small & Jomphe, as outlined above, are generally polyphyletic.<ref name = "Steele" /><ref name = "Maureira-Butler" /><ref name = "Béna1" /><ref name = "Béna2">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name = "Downie">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name = "Béna3">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name = "Béna4">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name = "Yoder">Template:Cite journal</ref> However, with minor revisions sections and subsections could be rendered monophyletic.<ref name = "Maureira-Butler" /><ref name = "Béna2" /><ref name = "Downie" /><ref name = "Béna3" /><ref name = "Béna4" /><ref name = "Yoder" />

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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