Altitude and latitude have different effects on population characteristics of the widespread plant Anthyllis vulneraria

Widespread plants may provide natural models for how population processes change with temperature and other environmental variables and how they may respond to global change. Similar changes in temperature can occur along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients, but hardly any study has compared the effects of the two types of gradients. We studied populations of Anthyllis vulneraria along a latitudinal gradient from Central Europe to the range limit in the North and an altitudinal gradient in the Alps from 500 m to the altitudinal limit at 2500 m, both encompassing a change in annual mean temperature of c. 11.5 °C. Plant size and reproduction decreased, but plant density increased along both gradients, indicating higher recruitment and demographic compensation among vital rates. Our results support the view that demographic compensation may be common in widespread species in contrast to the predictions of the abundant centre model of biogeography. Variation in temperature along the gradients had the strongest effects on most population characteristics, followed by that in precipitation, solar radiation, and soil nutrients. The proportion of plants flowering, seed set and seed mass declined with latitude, while the large variation in these traits along the altitudinal gradient was not related to elevation and covarying environmental variables like annual mean temperature. This suggests that it will be more difficult to draw conclusions about the potential impacts of future climate warming on plant populations in mountains, because of the importance of small-scale variation in environmental conditions.

Phytochemical screening and evaluation of the antioxidant and anti-bacterial activity of Woundwort (Anthyllis vulneraria L.)

For millennia, medicinal plants have been used to prevent and cure diseases. Up to now there is a growing interest in their use in several areas as conducted for Anthyllis in our investigation. Actually the present research aims to investigate the biochemical characterisation of a medicinal plant collected from Tunisia named Woundwort [Anthyllis vulneraria L. (Jones and Turrill 1933)] by determining the mineral content, phenolic compound contents and biological activities of its leaf and flower extracts. On the one hand, the results obtained showed that A. vulneraria accumulated minerals at different amounts with significant differences between leaves and flowers extracts. On the other hand, the data revealed that the hydroethanolic flower extract contained the highest content of total polyphenols, flavonoids and condensed tannin, as it exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity. The flower extract also showed better antibacterial effect than leaf extract. These results support the exploitation of active compounds extracted from the leaves and especially the flowers of A. vulneraria, which can provide new alternatives to the use of certain drugs, additives, among others, as they can be used as structure–activity models for the development of new products.

Anthyllis apennina (Fabaceae), a new species from central Apennine (Italy)

A new species of Anthyllis endemic to central Apennine growing in dry pastures on limestone in the montane belt, within Abruzzo and Lazio administrative regions (central Italy), is here described and illustrated and the IUCN assessment is proposed. This new species belongs to the morphologically very variable Anthyllis vulneraria species complex and it is close to A. pulchella (south-eastern Europe and Caucasus), but it can be clearly distinguished by its smaller flowers, mainly light yellow-coloured, bracts longer than flowers, calyx pink-coloured (usually only at apex) and size of cauline leaves and leaflets. Furthermore, the name A. pulchella is here lectotypified, by a second-step typification, on a specimen preserved at PAD.

Effect of Seed Coating and PEG-Induced Drought on the Germination Capacity of Five Clover Crops

The effect of coating the seed of clover crops by water absorbing seed process (WASP) technology pelletization on its germination capacity was studied in conditions of diverse drought intensities simulated by different concentrations of polyethylenglycol (PEG) 8000 solution. Drought resistance was monitored in the seed of five fodder clover species: Anthyllis vulneraria L., Medicago lupulina L., Trifolium repens L., Melilotus albus Medik. and Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. In the seed of given plant species, germination capacity was determined along with the share of dead and hard seeds. Although the coating significantly (p < 0.05) affected the drought resistance of seeds, the germination capacity increased only in conditions of milder drought (simulation with PEG: 0.1–0.3 mol). With the increasing intensity of drought induced by higher PEG concentrations (0.4–0.7 mol) the number of germinable seeds demonstrably decreased and the number of dead seeds increased in the coated seed as compared with the uncoated seed. The coated seed can be appropriate for use in M. lupulina, M. albus and T. repens, while the uncoated seed can be used in A. vulneraria and O. viciifolia.

Nomenclatural notes on Fabaceae described from Sicily

A note about some taxa in Anthyllis and Trifolium (Fabaceae) described from Sicily is presented. Concerning Trifolium, we provide the lectotypification of the name T. pratense var. semipurpureum (≡ T. pratense subsp. semipurpureum), using a specimen preserved at PAL (Todaro’s collection). Concerning the Lojacono-Pojero’s name Vulneraria heterophylla var. parvula, it is lectotypified by a specimen at G. A neotype at NAP is proposed for the Gussone’s name Vulneraria heterophylla var. albiflora. As this latter name is applied to a taxon accepted here at specific rank, a new combination is validated. On the contrary, A. heterophylla var. parvula is considered as a new heterotypic synonym of Anthyllis vulneraria var. rubriflora. Finally, this latter is typified by a specimen deposited at TO.

Structural Adaptation and Physiological Mechanisms in the Leaves of Anthyllis vulneraria L. from Metallicolous and Non-Metallicolous Populations

Calamine wastes highly contaminated with trace metals (TMs) are spontaneously inhabited by a legume plant Anthyllis vulneraria L. This study determined an adaptation strategy of metallicolous (M) A. vulneraria and compared it with that of the non-metallicolous (NM) ecotype. We hypothesized that TMs may lead to (i) leaf apoplast modifications and (ii) changes in the antioxidant machinery efficiency that facilitate plant growth under severe contamination. To verify our hypothesis, we implemented immunolabelling, transmission electron microscopy and biochemical measurements. NM leaves were larger and thicker compared to the M ecotype. Microscopic analysis of M leaves showed a lack of dysfunctions in mesophyll cells exposed to TMs. However, changes in apoplast composition and thickening of the mesophyll and epidermal cell walls in these plants were observed. Thick walls were abundant in xyloglucan, pectins, arabinan, arabinogalactan protein and extensin. The tested ecotypes differed also in their physiological responses. The metallicolous ecotype featured greater accumulation of photosynthetic pigments, enhanced activity of superoxide dismutase and increased content of specific phenol groups in comparison with the NM one. Despite this, radical scavenging activity at the level of 20% was similar in M and NM ecotypes, which may implicate effective reduction of oxidative stress in M plants. In summary, our results confirmed hypotheses and suggest that TMs induced cell wall modifications of leaves, which may play a role in metal stress avoidance in Anthyllis species. However, when TMs reach the protoplast, activation of antioxidant machinery may significantly strengthen the status of plants naturally growing in TM-polluted environment.