Open AccessClearing confusion in <i>Stylosanthes</i> taxonomy. 2. <i>S. macrocephala</i> M.B. Ferreira & Sousa Costa vs. <i>S. capitata</i> Vogel and <i>S. bracteata</i> Vogel
Author(s) -
Raíner Schultze-Kraft,
Bruce G. Cook,
Arsenio Ciprián
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
tropical grasslands-forrajes tropicales
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.264
H-Index - 12
ISSN - 2346-3775
DOI - 10.17138/tgft(8)250-262
Subject(s) - capitata , confusion , biology , pasture , botany , zoology , ecology , psychology , psychoanalysis , brassica oleracea
Stylosanthes macrocephala was described as a new species in 1977 and has become an economically important pasture legume. It has recently been claimed to be conspecific with S. capitata, also an economically important species. This paper refutes this synonymization and summarizes morphological descriptions as well as genetic studies and cytological evidence indicating that diploid S. macrocephala should be considered a separate species, even being a likely progenitor of tetraploid S. capitata. Early confusion with S. bracteata is also discussed.