Plants from the genus Trifolium have been used in traditional medicine by many cultures. In Turkish folk medicine, for example, some Trifolium species are used for their expectorant, analgesic, antiseptic properties and also to treat rheumatic aches. Some species are also grown as pasture crops for animals in the Mediterranean. The high quercetin concentration and soyasaponin occurrence make the seeds of some Trifolium species a potential source of health beneficial phytochemicals for use in human nutrition. However, Trifolium pratense has also gained popularity due to research into its use for the treatment for menopausal symptoms. This paper provides an overview of the phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Trifolium species.

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Food plant preferences of some Lepidoptera species associated with particular colour of the flowers were investigated. Based on 1,329 field observations of 43 Lepidoptera and 66 plant species, Lepidoptera showed a high tendency (G-test, G adj = 698.6, df = 6, P < 0.001) to use the yellow (29%) and pink (28%) coloured flowers for foraging. Compared to the other colours it was evident that plants with red flowers (2%) were not preferred. Moreover, the plants with red (H = 0.435) and yellow-white (H = 0.543) flowers were not visited by diverse Lepidoptera species. Although yellow and pink flowers were most frequently visited, the highest degrees of the Lepidoptera diversity values were associated with the plants having blue (H = 0.647) and purple (H = 0.634) flowers. Species of Nymphalidae were most numerous (14 spp.) in the study area and the members of this family were observed 430 times on 39 different plant species, but never on plants with red flowers. Pieris rapae was the most abundant species that occurred 136 times on a total of 21 different plant species of which eight had yellow flowers. But, this species has never been seen while feeding on red flowers.

In this study, the seed micromorphologies of eight taxa of Anacamptis, Neotinea and Orchis growing around Edirne province (Turkey) were investigated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Slides prepared with glycerin jelly were used for measurements under the light microscope and fine details of seed testae characteristics were observed with SEM. Seeds of the investigated orchid taxa are fusiform shaped and of different shades of brown. Their lengths and widths are different among the taxa and range between 0.263–0.640 mm and 0.118–0.208 mm, respectively. Testa surfaces of Orchis mascula subsp. mascula, Orchis purpurea subsp. purpurea and Orchis simia subsp. simia, are smooth while those of Anacamptis coriophora, Anacamptis laxiflora subsp. laxiflora, Anacamptis morio subsp. morio, Anacamptis papilionacea and Neotinea tridentata subsp. tridentata are reticulate. An identification key based on seed morphologies and sizes is suggested for the first time, including testae structures of orchids growing in Edirne province. The overall results of the study showed that morphological structures of orchid’s seeds could be used as diagnostic characters in identification.

In this research was to determine the morphological characteristics and forage yield of some vetch genotypes gathered from flora of Thrace Region of Turkey. Seventy four vetch genotypes consists Vicia hybrida L., V. pannonica Crantz., V. sativa L., V. villosa Roth., V. narbonensis L., V. lutea L., V. peregrina L., V. lathyroides L., and V. grandiflora Scop. species were used as the material. The field experiment was carried out in the 2015-2016 growing season at field experimental area of Tekirdag Namık Kemal University, Agricultural Faculty, Field Crops Department in Tekirdag/Turkey. Plant height, stem diameter, leaflet length and width, fresh and dry forage yield of vetch genotypes were measured. Plant height, stem diameter, leaflet length, leaflet width, fresh forage yield and dry forage yield have significant (P<0.01) differences between vetch genotypes. Plant height, stem diameter, leaflet length, leaflet width, fresh forage yield and dry forage yield of vetch genotypes ranged among 14,0-129,0 cm, 1,20-4,27 mm, 5,66-52,5 mm, 1,10-11,4 mm, 6,56-360,77 g/plant and 2,67-120,22 g/plant, respectively. As a result, vetch genotypes have a wide variation in plant height, stem diameter, leaflet width and height, and fresh and dry forage yield. Vetch genotypes with this wide variation can be used as material in vetch breeding researches.