Biosystematic investigations on north western Italian populations of the «Vicia cracca» aggregate. Preliminary observations

Abstract Karyological investigation on populations of the Vicia cracca aggregate, in North-west Italy revealed considerable diversity in number (2n = 28, 14 and various intermediate numbers) and morphology of the chromosomes of Vicia cracca sensu stricto, occurrence of B-chromosomes in two populations with 2n = 12 of Vicia incana and both numbers 12 and 14 in a third population. Vicia tenuifolia appeared to be provided with the known karyotype with 2n = 24 and chromosomes very similar to those noticed in the karyotypes of Vicia incana. Since the karyological diversity noted in the two first entities was correlated with a noteworthy morphological variability, a treatment at infraspecific level of these two entities, at least in this area, is proposed, with this nomenclature: Vicia cracca L. ssp. cracca and V. cracca L. ssp. gerardi Gaudin.