Relatives
Onobrychis miniata Stev. - Small Esparcet.
Taxonomic position.
Family Leguminosae Endl., genus Onobrychis Mill.Synonyms.
Onobrychis arenaria (Kit.) DC. subsp. miniata (Stev.) P.W. Ball.Biology and morphology.
Perennial herb. Stems are rude, branched, pubescent, 15-50 cm. Leaves are pinnate, consisting of 7-12 pairs; leaflets are elliptical or linear-elliptical. Peduncle is 3-4 times longer than corresponding petiole. Florets are pink, 6-9 mm long. Pod is 5-6 mm long, serrated, with 4-5 narrow ridges. Blossoms in May-June; seeds ripen in August-September.Distribution.
Indigenous to the mountainous part of the Crimea and the Western Caucasus.Ecology.
Occurs on open limestone slopes, in mountain meadows, and in oak, juniper and pine woods.Utilization and economic value.
Fodder crop; its feeding value is lower than that of other Onobrychis species because of its narrow leaflets. Possesses high drought-resistance; grows in poor soils. Suitable for breeding programs in crosses with cultivated Onobrychis species.Literature.
Brezhnev D.D., Korovina O.N. 1980. Wild relatives of the cultivated plants of flora of the USSR. L.: Kolos, 376 pp. (in Russian).Flora of the USSR. 1945. Genus Onobrychis. Vol. 13. M.-L.: USSR, p. 319-341. (in Russian).
Galushko A.I. 1980. Flora of the Northern Caucasus. Vol. 2. Rostov-na-Donu, 350 pp. (in Russian).
Grossheim A.A. 1952. Genus Onobrychis. Flora of the Caucasus. Vol. 5. M.-L.: USSR, p. 358-376. (in Russian).
Kolakovskiy A.L. 1958. Flora of Abhasiya. Vol. 3. Tbilisi, 292 pp. (in Russian).
Phyodorov A.A., ed. 1987. Flora of the European part of the USSR. Vol. 6. 254 pp. (in Russian).