Tannins in pasture legumes. 2. The annual and perennial Medicago species

Abstract

A total of 557 accessions representing 35 species of annual and perennial medics were tested for the presence of tannins in their leaves and mature seed coats. None of the lines tested produced tannins in their leaves, while all produced tannins in their seed coats. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the development of bloat-resistant lucerne varieties by plant breeding.