XXIIIrd International Eucarpia symposium, Section Ornamentals ...

P25
Angela Etcheverry
Maria Alemán
Trinidad Figueroa
Carlos Gómez
Stella Pérez
Dinca Martín
Cátedra de Botánica,
Laboratorio de Biología
Reproductiva, Facultad de
Ciencias Naturales,
Universidad Nacional de
Salta, Calle Buenos Aires
177, 4400 Salta, Argentina
avetcheverry@yahoo.com.ar
FABACEAE FROM NORTHWESTERN
ARGENTINA AND THEIR POTENTIAL USE AS
ORNAMENTALS
The Fabaceae, one of the largest families of the Angiosperms, are amply distributed in
both hemispheres, from wet tropics and across temperate zones. Many of them are
characteristic of disturbed places, demonstrating a good adaptation to grow and to
reproduce under unfavorable conditions, e.g., soils poor in nitrogen, given their capacity
to fix the atmospheric nitrogen by symbiosis with species of Rhizobium. Within this
family, the subfamily Papilionoideae represents 70%, and most of the cultivated species
of legumes belongs to this group. In addition to the crops used as food, the
Papilionoideae are used also as ornamentals, as Lathyrus odoratus and Spartium
junceum. As a first step in the characterization of native species of Papilionoideae from
Northwestern Argentina, with potential use as ornamentals, we determined the floral
characteristics and life cycle of the following species: Centrosema virginianum (L.)
Benth; Cologania ovalifolia H.B.K.; Crotalaria megapotamica Burk.; Crotalaria micans
Link; Crotalaria pumila Ort.; Crotalaria stipularia Desv.; Desmodium cuneatum Hook &
Arn.; Desmodium incanum AD.; Desmodium subsericeum Malme; Desmodium
uncinatum (Jacq.) DC.; Galactia latisiliqua Desv.; Indigofera parodiana Burk.; Indigofera
suffruticosa Mill.; Macroptilium erythroloma (Benth.) Urban; Macroptilium fraternum;
Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. aborigeneus (Burk.) Baudet; Rynchosia edulis Griseb.; Vigna
caracalla (L.) Verdc. and Zornia contorta Mohl. Desmodium spp. have flowers contained
in racemose inflorescences, they are pink coloured and present colour change toward
violet-blue. Crotalaria spp, Rynchosia edulis and Zornia contorta have yellow flowers
and racemose inflorescences. Macroptilium spp. and Indigofera spp. possess orange
flowers. Cologania ovalifolia flowers are fuchsia, while the flowers of Phaseolus vulgaris
and Galactia latisiliqua are pink. Centrosema virginianum and Vigna caracalla have
large flowers, (2-5cm.), and they are violet-coloured. In the studied group, Crotalaria
micans, Crotalaria megapotamica and Vigna caracalla produce a very intense
fragrance. Considering the life cycle, 89% of the studied species are perennials. In
relation to rewards, 72% of species produce nectar and this feature enhances their
attractiveness because of pollinator’s presence.
98 Session Posters