Onobrychis
Onobrychis Mill.
As currently understood Onobrychis is a taxonomically complex genus of ca. 130 species (Mabberley 2008). Recent molecular data indicate that Onobrychis is monophyletic and composed of two main clades (Amirahmadi & al. 2016). About 23 species are native in Europe but most originate in West- and Central-Asia (some also in parts of Africa). Rather few species are slightly weedy and sometimes occur as weeds of arable land beyond their natural distribution range. One species is economically important, Onobrychis viciifolia. It was formerly more or less widely cultivated as a forage plant (sainfoin), more rarely also by beekeepers. In more recent times it is one of the typical species in wild flower seed mixtures.
Additional alien: Onobrychis caput-galli (L.) Lam. (Medit., SW-As., wool alien).
Literature:
Ahangarian S., Kazempour Osaloo Sh. & Maassoumi A.A. (2007) Molecular phylogeny of the tribe Hedysareae with special reference to Onobrychis (Fabaceae) as inferred from nrDNA ITS sequences. Iran. J. Bot. 13(2): 64-74.
Amirahmadi A., Kazempour-Osaloo S., Kaveh A., Maassoumi A.A. & Naderi R. (2016) The phylogeny and new classification of the genus Onobrychis (Fabaceae-Hedysareae): evidence from molecular data. Plant Systematics and Evolution 302(10): 1445–1456. [available online at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00606-016-1343-1]
Ball P.W. (1968) Onobrychis. In: Tutin T.G. & al. (eds.), Flora Europaea, vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 187-191.
Mabberley D.J. (2008) Mabberley’s plant-book (3th ed.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: XVIII + 1021 p.
Sell P. & Murrell G. (2009) Flora of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 3 Mimosaceae – Lentibulariaceae. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: XXVIII + 595 p.
Širjaev G. (1925) Onobrychis Generis Revisio Critica. Pars prima. Publ. Fac. Sc. Univ. Masaryk 56: 1-195.
Širjaev G. (1926) Onobrychis Generis Revisio Critica. Publ. Fac. Sci. Univ. Masaryk Brno 76: 1-165.
Širjaev G. (1931). Supplementum ad Monographiam Onobrychis Generis Revisio Critica. Bull. Soc. Bot. Bulg. 4:7-24.
Schischkin B.K. & Bobrov E.G. (eds) (1972) Flora of U.R.S.S. vol. 13: 244-281. Jerusalem.
Verloove F. (2002) Ingeburgerde plantensoorten in Vlaanderen. Mededeling van het Instituut voor Natuurbehoud n° 20: 227 p.