Biological characteristics of the promissory forage native legume Trifolium polymorphum poir. (fabaceae, faboideae)

Abstract

The biological characterization of Trifolium polymorphum Poir., a promissory native forage is presented and taken as a model for its amphicarpy between both reproductive modes. Its esteemed productive and biological characteristics, as well as the good adaptation to climatic and edaphic conditions of the region, high persistency in the sward and plasticity, are shown; despite its low vegetative production, the response to phosphoric fertilization is significantly high. Biological, organological, ecological, and productive aspects are also described and discussed. The first of them derived from the reproductive double strategy which develops into high subterranean autogamic seed production, leading to genetical homogeneity of their offspring and the lower aerial seed production with a high impact on population dispersion.