Medicago lupulina |
Medicago sect. Lupularia |
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black medic, hop clover |
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Habit | Plants annual, 10–45(80) cm. | |
Stems | pubescent. |
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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. |
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Inflorescences | 10–20-flowered; ovoid, 7–20 × 5–8 mm; peduncles 10–30 mm; pedicels 0.8–1 mm. |
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Flowers | calyces 1–1.5 mm; corollas 2–3 mm, yellow. |
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Fruits | reniform, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, becoming black with age, glabrous to pubescent, strongly concentric-veined, unarmed. |
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Seeds | 1; oval to reniform, 1.5–2 × 1–1.2 mm, yellow to olive-green. |
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2n | = 16,32. |
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Medicago lupulina |
Medicago sect. Lupularia |
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Distribution | ||
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. |
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Source | Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 707 Nurul Khalib, Melanie Link-Perez |
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Sibling taxa | ||
Web links |
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