Erophaca

Erophaca
Inflorescence
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Galegeae
Subtribe: Erophacinae
Genus: Erophaca
Boiss.
Species:
E. baetica
Binomial name
Erophaca baetica
Synonyms
  • Astragalus lusitanicus Lam.
  • Astragalus dorycnioides Scop.
  • Colutea baetica (L.) Poir.
  • Phaca baetica L.

Erophaca is a monotypic genus of the tribe Galegeae. Its only species, Erophaca baetica, is a perennial plant distributed in disjunct populations in the Mediterranean Region.

According to nrDNA ITS analysis, Erophaca is monophyletic and related to the Astragalean clade. It is also andromonoecious (a rare sexual system among the angiosperms and a novelty for Old World papilionoid legumes).

Erophaca baetica has two subspecies distributed at opposite ends of the Mediterranean region:

Some populations in Algeria were found to be hybrids of the two subspecies.