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black medic, hop clover

Habit Plants annual, 10–45(80) cm.
Stems

pubescent.

Leaves

sub-palmate;

leaflets obovate; length ? width, 7–13(20) mm, bases cuneate;

margins distally serrate;

veins prominent;

tips obtuse to rounded;

surfaces slightly pubescent; more so abaxially;

petioles 2–10(15) mm;

petiolules 0.5–4 mm;

stipules 4–8 mm;

margins entire or toothed.

Inflorescences

10–20-flowered; ovoid, 7–20 × 5–8 mm;

peduncles 10–30 mm;

pedicels 0.8–1 mm.

Flowers

calyces 1–1.5 mm;

corollas 2–3 mm, yellow.

Fruits

reniform, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, becoming black with age, glabrous to pubescent, strongly concentric-veined, unarmed.

Seeds

1; oval to reniform, 1.5–2 × 1–1.2 mm, yellow to olive-green.

2n

= 16,32.

Medicago lupulina

Medicago sect. Lupularia

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Riparian areas, meadows, lawns, roadsides, disturbed areas. Flowering May–Jul. 0–1600 m. All ecoregions. CA, ID, NV, WA; worldwide. Exotic.

Medicago lupulina is characterized by dense, ovoid inflorescences consisting of ten or more tiny yellow flowers. This is the only species of Medicago in Oregon with one-seeded fruits.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 707
Nurul Khalib, Melanie Link-Perez
Sibling taxa
M. arabica, M. falcata, M. minima, M. polymorpha, M. praecox, M. sativa, M. turbinata
Web links