الفهرس 
Chapter 1: Morphological studiesOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Systematic revision of 38 taxa belonging to genus Medicago have been carried. These taxa were M. heyniana, M. orbicularis, M. Lupulina, M. monspeliaca, M. sativa, M. ciliaris, M. granadensis, M. noeana, M. scutellata, M. rugosa, M. blancheana var. bonarotiana, M. rotata var. eliezeri, M. arabica, M. laciniata, M. laciniata var. brachyacantha, M. minima, M. polymorpha, M. polymorpha var. brevispina, M. polymorpha var. vulgaris, M. polymorpha var. denticulate, M. polymorpha var. hispida, M. laxispira, M. tenoreana, M. disciformis, M. littoralis, M. littoralis x truncatula, M. rigidula var. submitis, M. rigidula var. cinerascens, M. truncatula, M. truncatula var. littoralis, M. turbinata var. aculeate, M. turbinata var. turbinate, M. turbinata var. chioticta, M. turbinata var. spinulosa, M. doliata, M. tornata, M. tornata var. cylindrica, M. constricta
It was found that there was no previous complete work on macro- and micro- morphological and molecular studies on these taxa.
Therefore, the study aimed to revise critically the taxonomic relationships between the presented species and varieties of the genus Medicago of tribe Trifolieae.
The present study based on macro & micro- morphological studies of juvenile and mature plants as well as using RAPD molecular markers for delimiting the taxonomic relationships of the studied taxa.
The results were arranged in tables, plates, and microscopic photographic pictures for identifying seedlings and mature plants.
In addition, numerical analysis was carried out to these characters to evaluate similarities and dissimilarities among the taxa under investigation and to delimit the taxonomic relationships between them.
Artificial keys of diagnostic systematic characters were constructed
The present study reached some conclusions as follows:
1. The studied taxa are belonged to 6 sections (Heynianae, Orbiculares, Lupularia, Buceras, Medicago and Spirocarpos) and 5 subsections (Reflexae, Intertextae, Rotatae, Leptospireae and pachyspireae).
2. Numerical analysis results based on morphological, anatomical, and molecular characters is able to separate the studied species of genus Medicago.
3. Numerical results based on morphological characters were clearly enough to identify and separate species, subspecies, and varieties of Medicago.
4. Numerical results based on seedling morphology and mature plant anatomy was significant in separating and identifying the studied species more than delimiting the taxonomic relationships between them.
5. Numerical results based on five RAPD molecular markers, viz. OP-A18, OP-B01, OP-B06, OP-B07 and OP-C09 show that several species groups were well supported in this study, but clear incongruence exists between molecular results and the subdivision based on morphology that what supported by several other studies used molecular characters.
6. The study showed considerable variation in morphological characters in the different specimens of M. tornata, these characters represented in plant hairiness, flower color, standard shape, and apex and pod shape.
7. On the base of these characters, the species separated into two varieties M. tornata var. tornata and tornata var. cylindrica (var. nova).