柱花草属(Stylosanthes Sw.)约含50个种(包括二倍体和多倍体), 染色体基数x=10, 是热带和亚热带地区的优良豆科牧草, 其中圭亚那柱花草(S. guianensis Sw.)、有钩柱花草(S. hamata (L.) Taub.)、西卡柱花草(S. scabra Vog.)、矮柱花草(S. humilis Kunth)和灌木柱花草(S. seabrana B. L. Maas s & 't Mannetje)的种植面积最广。由于柱花草产量高、营养丰富、栽培容易且用途广泛(可用于青稞饲料、调制干草和干草粉、牧地种植、果树间种、水土保持及绿肥等), 被许多国家用于热带和亚热带农业生产中, 如亚洲的中国、印度、泰国和马来西亚等, 澳洲的澳大利亚, 美洲的美国、哥伦比亚、巴西和古巴, 以及非洲的尼日利亚等。该文对柱花草种质资源的系统学、种质收集、评价、利用及育种等方面的研究进展进行了系统的概括和归纳, 并展望了当前柱花草研究的热点领域和亟待解决的问题。
The genus Stylosanthes Sw ., the excellent tropical and subtropical legume forage system, consists of approximately 50 diploid or polyploid species and a common number of basic chromosomes (x =10). Five species of this genus, S. guianensis Sw., S. hamata (L.) Taub., S. scabra Vog., S. humilis Kunth and S. seabrana B. L. Maass & 't Mannetje, are the most widely planted. Because Stylosanthes has high yield, is nutrient rich, is easy to plant and has multiple purposes (e.g., for barley feed, seasoning for hay or hay powder, planting in pastures, intercropping with fruit trees, soil and water conservation and green manure), the genus has been used for agricultural production in tropical and subtropical regions of many countries, including China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, the United States, Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, and Nigeria. This review describes research advances in the germplasm resources of Stylosanthes in terms of biological characteristics, distribution, phylogenetic relationships, collection, evaluation, utilization, breeding and genetic diversity and discusses prospects of the research and several problems demanding prompt solution in Stylosanthes.