Abstract
Hemolytic saponin content was determined of the leaves of 1213 plants of different variants ofMedicago sativa s.l. (including wild and cultivated alfalfa), and a close ally,M. papillosa. The latter species had a much higher content than any of the groups ofM. sativa. Medicago sativa ssp. caerulea, the most important ancestor of alfalfa, had a very low content of hemolytic saponins. The most primitive forms of cultivated alfalfa examined, from Turkey, and wildM. sativa ssp. sativa of Turkey, also both had very low contents of hemolytic saponins. This is consistent with, and likely explained by, a direct origin of the two Turkish groups from sympatricM. sativa ssp.caerulea. The second most important ancestor of alfalfa,M. sativa ssp.falcata, had the highest content of any of the examined groups ofM. sativa. Modern “Western” (European, NorthAmerican) cultivars and Western ruderal populations had intermediate levels of hemolytic saponins. This is consistent with, and likely explained by, their origin by hybridization and introgression between the low saponin groups noted above andM. sativa ssp.falcata.
Résumé
Le contenu en saponine hémolytique des feuilles de 1213 plantes représentant différents variants deMedicago sativa s.l. (incluant la luzerne sauvage et la luzerne cultivée) et d’un allié immédiat,M. papillosa, a été déterminé.Medicago papillosa a un contenu beaucoup plus élevé que celui de n’importe lequel groupe deM. sativa. L’ancêtre le plus important de la luzerne,M. sativa ssp.caerulea, a un contenu très bas en saponines hémolytiques. Les formes examinées les plus primitives de la luzerne cultivée, en provenance de la Turquie, ainsi que les repr]'esentants sauvages deM. sativa ssp.Sativa de la Turquie avaient aussi des contenus très bas en saponines hémolytiques. Cette observation supporte et s’explique même probablement par une origine directe des deux groupes turcs à partir du taxon sympatriqueM. sativa ssp.caerulea. Le second ancêtre le plus important de la luzerne,M. sativa ssp.falcata, possède le contenu le plus élevé de tous les groupes examinés deM. sativa. Les cultivars “occidentaux” (européens et nord-américains) modernes ainsi que les populations rudérales des mêmes régions sont caractérisées par des niveaux intermédiaires en saponines hémolytiques. Ceci est compatible avec leur origine par hybridation et introgression entre les groupes à basse teneur en saponine notés plus hauts etM. sativa ssp.falcata, et en découle probablement.
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Small, E., Jurzysta, M. & Nozzolillo, C. The evolution of hemolytic saponin content in wild and cultivated Alfalfa (Medicago sativa, Fabaceae). Econ Bot 44, 226–235 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860488
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860488