The reproductive behaviour of individual plants from within Caucasian Clover (Trifolium ambiguum Bieb.) cv. Monaro

Abstract

Thirteen individual plants selected at random from a four year old field of Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum Bieb.) cv. Monaro varied widely in their ability to flower and hence produce seed. Four of the plants failed to flower. Vegetatively propagated plants from three of the original thirteen were further investigated in a field trial. Inflorescence number per plant differed significantly (from 1.1 to 41.6) as did seed yield per plant (from 0.18 g to 3.65 g). The reason for this variable flowering response is not known, but there is obviously scope for selection to improve both inflorescence number and seed yield.