Genus Onobrychis Adans. Род ЕСПАРЗЕТА — ONOBRYCHIS ADANS.¹ Adans., Fam. II (1763) 327 Fam: Leguminose (Fabaceae) Juss.
Genus: Onobrychis Adans.
English Name: SainfoinsDescription:
Perennial or annual herbaceous plants, often with shortened stems. Leaves imparipinnate. Sheets 4 - 15 pairs. Blossoms in extended or shortened simple clusters on shorter than the calyx or equal to slightly longer than it handles or at least 3 - 8 in loose classes. Bell-shaped calyx, with 5 much longer than her teeth. Corolla white, yellow, pink or purple. The wings shorter or longer than the calyx. Flag almost subsessile, back ovate or heart-shaped back. Keel, blunt, triangular. Stamens twins, the upper stamen free. The ovary is a seed. Beans is one, rarely two - three seeds, single station, less frequently with two recesses, is not bursting, leathery, up to stiff, usually with a comb and a tooth on the dorsal edge, spikes and grid-similar carved on the sides.
Pollinating insects, are propagated by seed and vegetatively.
Economic significance. Some species are better feed components.
Table for determining the types
1 Clusters loose wheatear-like, blossoms 4 – 8 .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
1* Clusters dense wheatear-like clusters or head-like, with more than 8 blossoms ......................................................................................................... 3
2 Calyx 1/3 shorter than corolla. beans without spines removed …………….................................... ....................................................................... 12. x x x - O. aequidentata (Sibth. Et Sm.) D'Urv.
2* Calyx equal to corolla or somewhat shorter than it. Beans more or less covered with spikes removed ............................................................................. 11. Cockscomb sainfoin (Source: BSBI ) – English Cockshead sainfoin - O. caput-gali (L.) Lam.
3 Stems strongly shortened or missing. Handles inflorescences very often go from the top of the rhizome. Densely tussock-like plants ........................... 4
3* Stems well developed, ascending. Handles inflorescences out as the branches of them. Loose tussock-like or rhizome plants .................................... 5
4 Wings equal of the calyx or slightly shorter. Flag equal to keel or longer, frequently slightly shorter. Bract exceed the base of the teeth of the calyx or reaches the top of their .................................................................................................................................. 2. x x x sainfoin - O. pindicola Hausskn.
4* Wings clearly to 4 times shorter than the calyx. Flag 1 - 2 mm shorter than the keel. Bract shorter than the tube of the calyx …………………………….............................................................................................................................. 5. Mountain sainfoin - O. montana DC.
5 The flag at least 2.0 mm longer than the boat …….....................................................................................…… 1. x x x sainfoin - O. gracilis Bess.
5* The flag barely shorter than or equal to the keel ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
6 The plant densely long silver fiber. Napped on the stem and leaves longer than 0.6 mm ………........... ......... 4. Degenova sainfoin - O. degenii Dörfl.
6* The plant scattered fibrous or naked. Napped on the stem and leaves most 0.6 mm ……......................................................................................... 7
7 Blossoms 10.0 - 12.0 (13.0) mm long .................................................................................................................................................................... 8
7* Blossoms 5.0 - 10.0 mm long ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
8 Corolla white to pale pink ............................................................................................................ 3. White sainfoin - O. alba (Waldst. Et Kit.) Desv.
8* Corolla pink purple ....................................................................................................................... 0.6 - 10 group. Sainfoin sand - O. arenaria grex
9 The teeth of the calyx 3 - 4 times longer than the tube of the calyx ……………………...……….. 3. White sainfoin - O. alba (Waldst. Et Kit.) Desv.
9* The teeth of the calyx 1.5 - 3 times longer than the tube of the calyx ............................. ....................... 6-10 group. Sainfoin sand - O. arenaria grex¹ developed by St. Kozhuharov
From: „Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976) * * *
Onobrychis, the Sainfoins, are Eurasian perennial herbs of the legume family (Fabaceae
Description, ecology and uses
Sainfoins are mostly subtropical plants, but their range extends throughout Europe as far north as southern Sweden. These plants grow on grassland, agricultural land and wasteland. The leaves are pinnate, alternate, with 6 to 14 pairs of oblong to linear leaflets. Sainfoins have pale pink flowers, typically blooming between June and September and pollinated by honey bees and solitary bees. The rounded single-seeded pods bear prominent spikes or similar protrusions in many species, enabling them to cling to the fur of large mammals and be thus distributed.
These highly nutritious plants were an important forage for heavy working horses in agriculture, and are still an excellent source of nectar for honey production as well as pollen for bee food. Because sainfoins are rich in tannins which protect proteins from hydrolysis in the rumen, the proteins are instead absorbed in the abomasum. Onobrychis typically have a deep taproot and so are very drought resistant, but do not recover well from overgrazing. Adapted to slow but steady growth in the arid steppe belt of Eurasia, sainfoins are difficult to establish as pasture, are not persistent in grassland, and only yield one crop of hay or seeds per year. Thus they are seldom grown in any significant extent, though O. viciifolia is met with somewhat more regularly.
Onobrychis species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, such as the case-bearer moth Coleophora colutella (recorded on O. saxatilis) and the Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon) butterfly.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
References: „Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976), Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Distribution in Bulgaria: (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution:
SPECIES:
Onobrychis arenaria (Kit.) DC - Sandy esparcet, Siberian esparcet.
Onobrychis lasiostachya Boiss. - x x x
Onobrychis pindicola Hausskn. - x x x
E-mail: krnanev@gmail.com © K.Nanev