Ononis L.
Genus composed of about 86 species, including annual and perennial herbs, and shrubs of variable size. With a circum-Mediterranean distribution, although some species can extend up to central Europe and Asia, and even Macaronesia, where some are endemic. Its main diversification area is located in southwest of the Iberian Peninsula and NW Africa (Morocco and Algeria), so there is a good representation of this genus in the territory of this Guide.
Agulló, J.C., Juan, A.I., Alonso, M.A., Terrones, A. & Crespo, M.B. 2013. Taxonomic status of Ononis tridentata (Fabaceae) from Morocco, resolved by multivariate morphometric analyses. Plant Biosystems
147: 645-653.
Devesa, J.A. 1996. Notas taxonómicas sobre el généro Ononis L. (Fabaceae) para la flora de Marruecos. Acta Botanica Malacitana 21: 191-198.
Förther, H. & Podlech, D. 1992. Revision der Ononis natrix-Gruppe von Makaronesien, Nordafrika und dem angrezenden Westasien. Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 30: 197-296. Förther, H. & Podlech, D. 1993. Eine neue Ononis-Art (Leguminosae) aus Nordafrika. Sendtnera 1: 65-68.
Širjaev, G. 1932. Generis Ononis L. revisio critica. Beih. Bot. Centrabl. 49(2): 381-665.
Turini, F.G., Bräuchler, Ch. & Heubl, G. 2010. Phylogenetic relationships and evolution of morphological characters in Ononis L. (Fabaceae). Taxon 59: 1077-1090.
Key to species
1 Corolla predominantly pink, pinkish or blue, sometimes with darker veins of the same colour 2
1 Corolla yellow or predominantly yellow, sometimes with purple or brown veins 5
2 Suffrutex with spiny stems and generally decumbent Ononis spinosa
2 Shrub unarmed, with stem and branches erect orascending 3
3 Inflorescence terminal, racemiform, with 1 pedicellate flower on the bractaxil, bracts similar to the leaves, uni- or trifoliolate; pod the same length or shorter than the calyx Ononis hispida
3 Inflorescences ebracteate, axillary, with 1-3 pedicellate flowers at the end of an aristate peduncle, and all flowers grouped at the end of the stems forming a complex inflorescence; pods longer than the calyx, pendulous 4
4 Leaflets with 3-9 teeth on the distal third; corolla 8-13.5 mm, pod 11-13 mm,with 1 seed Ononis tridentata
4 Leaflets almost entirely dentate or serrated, with mucronulate teeth; corolla 11-20 mm; pod 16-30 mm, with 3-4 seeds Ononis fruticosa
5 Floral peduncles persistent, spinescent Ononis atlantica
5 Plant unarmed, with floral peduncles when present not spinescent 6
6 Inflorescence terminal, racemiform or spiciform, with 1-2 flowers on the bract axil, bracts similar to the leaves, uni- or trifoliolate, or reduced to stipules 7
6 Inflorescences ebracteate, axillary, with 1-3 pedicellate flowers at the end of an aristate peduncle, and all inflorescences grouped in the end of the stems forming a complex inflorescence 9
7 Bracts with 1 flower on its axil, caducous at anthesis; leaflets 1.5-5(6) × 1.5-3.5(4.5) mm Ononis reuteri
7 Bracts with 1-4 flowers on its axil, persistent up to fruiting; leaflets 2-35 × 2-25 mm 8
8 Inflorescence spiciform, very dense; bracts with 1 flower on its axil; leaflets herbaceous or somewhat fleshy Ononis speciosa
8 Inflorescence racemiform, lax; bracts with (1)2-3(4) flowers on its axil; leaflets coriaceous Ononis aragonensis
9 Stipules fused together and sheathing, imbricated Ononis vaginalis
9 Stipules fused largely to the petiole but not to each other nor sheathing 10
10 Leaflets linear, filiform or closely elliptic, usually longitudinally folded when old and often arched Ononis angustissima
10 Leaflets elliptic to orbicular, flat or only slightly folded longitudinally 11
11 Leaflets glabrous or covered with glanduliferous hairs only or mixed with sessile glands . 13
11 Leaflets with glanduliferous and eglandular hairs 12
12 Calyx 5-6 mm; peduncle of inflorescences with hairs glanduliferous and eglandular Ononis hesperia
12 Calyx 7-8 mm; peduncle of inflorescences with glanduliferous hairs only Ononis mogadorensis
13 Stem hairs 0.8-1.8 mm
13 Stem hairs less than 0.5 mm 14
14 Calyx teeth (5)7-14 mm, 3-5 times longer than the tube 15
14 Calyx teeth 2-6 mm, 1.5-2.5 times longer than the tube 16
15 Corolla (7)9-16(18) mm; pod 11-22 mm Ononis tazaensis
15 Corolla 7-10 mm; pod 8-12(14) mm Ononis natrix pp
16 Seeds tuberculate; corolla (7)9-16(18) mm; pod 11-22 mm Ononis ramosissima
16 Seeds smooth; corolla 6-12(14) mm; pod 9-12 mm Ononis talaverae
Updated by: J. A. Devesa.