Ricerc@Sapienza

Plantago Linnaeus (1753: 112) (Plantaginaceae) is a genus including 200–250 species distributed throughout the temperate
zone and the high-elevation tropical regions (Rahn 1996, Rønsted et al. 2002).
This genus is critical from the taxonomical point of view, showing a high morphological variability and plasticity
(Anderson et al. 2013), a reduced number of morphological characters (Rahn, 1996) and a phylogenetic history not completely
resolved (Rønsted et al. 2002, Ishikawa et al. 2009, Tay et al. 2010, Meudt 2011). In addition, recently new species were

Plantago Linnaeus (1753: 112) (Plantaginaceae Juss.) is a cosmopolitan genus including about 250 species distributed
in the temperate zone and high-elevation tropical regions (Pilger 1937, Rahn 1996, Hassemer et al. 2016). The genus
is taxonomically critical because of its high morphological variability and plasticity, reduced number of diagnostic
characters and a still unresolved phylogenetical history (Rahn 1996, Rønsted et al. 2002).
According to the current concept (Rahn 1996, updated by Rønsted et al. 2002, and Hoggard et al. 2003), Plantago

The classification of the Vicia sativa aggregate is unsatisfactory. Concerning the taxonomic value and choice of rank of some of these
taxa, there are disagreements among botanists. Vicia incisa, which was originally described at species level, was mostly treated at subspecies rank
of V. sativa. However, chemical and molecular data pointed out that this taxon, not only should be treated at species rank, but it should be removed