关键词: 黄花苜蓿, 二倍体, 四倍体, 形态特征

Abstract: Nineteen morphological characters were compared between diploid and tetraploid plants of wild sickle alfalfa (Medicago falcata L.) collected from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,and Russia.Results show that there were significant differences in morphological characters between the two plants.Differences in vegetative organs were more obvious than those in reproductive organs.Diploid plants had orange colored flowers,purple-green stems,oblanceolate or linear leaves,dense hairs on both sides of leaves;tetraploid plants had yellow flowers,green stems,oblanceolate or obovate leaves,smooth leaf surface and sparse hairs on the underside of leaves.In comparison with diploid plants,tetraploid plants appeared as more vigorous growth.The two types of plants could be distinguished easily by cluster analysis based on six morphological characters.Plants of the tetraploid group could be further classified into different categories based on the habitat characters.Morphological differences between different ploidy groups were more obvious than those among the plants of same ploidy groups from different habitats.

Key words: Medicago falcate L., Diploid, Tetraploid, Morphological characteristic