In order to characterize Miyakogusa, Lotus corniculatus L. var. japonicus Regel and the relating seven species to it, shown in Table 1, field observations were conducted under fertilized and unfertilized conditions in 1982 and 1983. Seventeen characteristics (shown in Table 2) were investigated. The results were as follows; 1. L. corniculatus var. japonicus was characterized as excellent in early growth, early in flowering and harvesting time and extremely high in seed yield. L. corniculatus was characterized as superior to the other seven species in most characteristics. On the other hand, L. uliginosus was characterized as extremely excellent in surviving plant percentage. 2. The effects of fertilization were clearly expressed in plant height, plant weight, seed yield and surviving plant percentage in many species. The value of plant height, plant weight and seed yield were higher in fertilized condition than in unferilized condition. The values of surviving plant percentage, on the contrary, were lower in fertilized condition than in unfertilized condition.

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In order to characterize Miyakogusa, Lotus corniculatus L. var. japonicus Regel, seventy strains collected from all over Japan were evaluated compairing with relating seven species (shown in Table 1 in the previous report) in the fertilized and unfertilized field in 1982 and 1983. Seven characteristics (shown in Table 2 in the previous report) were investigated. According to the data, correlations among the characteristics were calculated. In addition, the composite characteristics of Miyakogusa and relating species were indicated based on principal component analysis. The results were as follows; 1. The correlation coefficients calculated from the mean value of fertilized and unfertilized data were shown in Table 1. Plant height at about six months after seeding correlated with plant weight and seed yield in L. corniculatus var. japonicus and L. corniculatus but not in L. uliginosus. Plant weight correlated with plant height, stem number and stem size in L. corniculatus var. japonicus, L. corniculatus, L. uliginosus and L. tenuis. Early flowering time correlated with higher plant height in these four species. 2. Superiority of composite characteristics of regrowth, fall vigor, plant weight and surviving plant percentage was expressed in negative area of first principal component. Superiority of composite characteristics of seed yield, plant height at 60 days after seeding and earliness of flowering were expressed in negative area of second principal component. Thirteen out of 32 strains of L. corniculatus were distributed in the third quadrant, on the other hand, only four out of seventy strains of L. corniculatus var. japonicus were distributed in the third quadrant. From these results, Birdsfoot trefoil was superior in the composite characteristics of regrowth, fall vigor, plant weight and surviving plant percentage, on the contrary, Miyakogusa was inferior in this composite characteristics. On the other hand, Miyakogusa and Birdfoot trefoil indicated great variability in the composite characteristics of seed yield, plant height at 60 days after seeding and earliness of flowering.

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In order to characterize local strains of Miyakogusa, Lotus corniculatus L. var. japonicus Regel, 66 strains collected from different regions in Japan were evaluated in the fertilized and unfertilized field conditions in 1982 and 1983. Seventeen characteristics (shown in Table 2 in the previous report 1) were investigated. The results were as follows; 1. Leaf color, stem color, plant weight and harvesting time correlated to latitude, significantly. That is, strains collected from the region with higher latitude showed darker leaf and stem color, thicker stem size, greater plant weight and later harvesting time. On the other hand, plant height and stem number in early stage, plant height, stem size, plant weight, flowering and harvesting time, maturing days, seed yield and fall vigor correlated to altitude, significantly. That is, strains collected from the region with higher altitude showed shorter plant height and fewer stem number in early stage, shorter plant height, thinner stem smaller plant weight, later flowering and harvesting time, lower seed yield and fall vigor. 2. Superiority of composite characteristics of plant height, flowering time, seed yield, fall vigor and surviving plant percentage was expressed in negative area of the first principal component. Lightness of leaf and stem color, superiority of plant weight and thickness of stem were expressed in negative area of the second principal component. Fewness of stem number and superiority of regrowth and surviving plant percentage were expressed in negative area of the third principal component. Differences of composite characteristics of strains among the different regions were clear. Strains collected from Hokkaido region showed later flowering time and greater plant weight, on the other hand, strains collected from Tokai-Chugoku-Shikoku region showed earlier flowering time and greater seed yield and superior regrowth, fall vigor and surviving plant percentage. Strains collected from Tohoku, Hokuriku and Kanto-Koshin regions showed approximately intermediate characteristics between those of Hokkaido and Tokai-Chugoku-Shikoku regions. Strains collected from Kyushu region showed later flowering time and smaller plant weight in spite of expectation of earlier flowering time. This seems to mainly depends upon higher altitude of collected region. 3. Plant height, plant weight, seed yield, regrowth, fall vigor and surviving plant percentage under fertilized condition were greater than those under unfertilized condition.

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