A Eurasia-wide polyploid species complex involving 6x Trifolium ambiguum, 2x T. occidentale and 4x T. repens produces interspecific hybrids with significance for clover breeding

Table 4 Mean values of morphological traits of Trifolium ambiguum (6x), Trifolium occidentale (2x) and three 6x T. ambiguum x 2x T. occidentale hybrids (5, 33 and 140) following destructive harvest in summer. *denotes significant differences (P < 0.05)

Genotype	LNPP	VGP	IN	DWH	DWRes	DWFP	DWRS	DWRZ	NNR
T. occidentale 2x	1112	276	2	29.6	5.3	0.02	4.3	0.0	All nodes
T. ambiguum 6x	198	34	17	36.3	7.2	2.68	43.1	12.9 (23%)	0
Hybrid 5	305	43	120	19.4	3.1	17.6	5.0	1.0 (17%)	1–3
Hybrid 33	339	34	120	15.1	2.8	13.3	4.5	0.9 (17%)	1–4
Hybrid 140	277	30	137	20.2	3.1	16.8	4.5	0.4 (8%)	1–4
LSD (0.05)	135.2*	48.7*	35.3*	7.45*	2.13*	4.95*	7.39*	3.23*
SEM	47.4	17.0	12.4	2.61	0.75	1.74	2.59	1.13

LNPP Leaf number per plant, VGP Number of vegetative growing points per plant, IN Inflorescence number, DWH Dry weight (DW) harvested (above cutting height, g), DWRes DW of residual stems after cutting (g), DWAGP DW of above-ground part (g), DWFP DW of floral parts (g), DWRS Dry weight of root system (g), DWRZ Dry weight of rhizomes (g, with % of total below ground DW), NNR Nodes with nodal roots (per stem)

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