Biotic, ecological and chorological analysis of the genus Trifolium in Greece

The taxa of the genus Trifolium are considered as worldwide valuable plant resources for rangelands. Their significance is found in their economic role, as they provide grazing animals with protein resources, and their ecological role, as they comprise of the major nitrogen pools in the soil. The Greek flora sustains 109 out of a total of 250 taxa, approximately reported worldwide. Information concerning the specific localities of Greece, where Trifolium taxa were reported, is found elsewhere in this volume. Extending the analysis, the present research aims at classifying the 109 taxa into a) life-duration classes, b) biotic types, and c) classes of chorological origin. The analysis was based in the elaboration of several research efforts and the available bibliographic information. The results showed that 6 out of 109 Trifolium taxa (92 species, 16 subspecies, 1 hybrid) are Greek endemics. Also, a high percentage of them (72% of 109) are annual therophytes. The majority of them (64% of 109) are Mediterranean elements. The results point out Greece as a prominent center of distribution of the genus Trifolium, and consequently an important “gene-pool” country, worldwide.