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alfalfa, lucerne

bur medic, California burclover, toothed medic

Habit Plants perennial, 20–80 cm, glabrous to puberulent. Plants annual, commonly mat-forming, 10–80(100) cm.
Stems

decumbent to erect, glabrous to puberulent.

prostrate to ascending, generally glabrous.

Leaves

sub-palmate;

leaflets narrowly lanceolate to obovate; length > width, 8–29 mm, bases cuneate;

margins distally serrate;

veins prominent;

tips truncate to rounded;

surfaces pubescent;

petioles 3–15 mm;

petiolules 1–6 mm;

stipules 6–14 mm;

margins entire to sharply toothed.

pinnate;

leaflets wedge-shaped to obovate, rarely obcordate; length > width, 8–22 mm, bases cuneate;

margins distally serrate;

veins prominent;

tips obtuse to rounded or emarginate;

surfaces glabrate, rarely puberulent;

petioles 5–40(60) mm;

petiolules 0.5–6 mm;

stipules 4–12 mm;

margins deeply laciniate.

Inflorescences

8–30-flowered; ovoid to oblong;

peduncles 8–40 mm;

pedicels 1–3 mm.

2–6-flowered;

peduncles 4–30 mm;

pedicels straight, 0.5–1 mm.

Flowers

calyces 4–5.5 mm;

corollas 8–10 mm, violet or variegated yellow-violet.

4–6(8) mm;

calyces 2.5–3 mm;

corollas 3.5–6 mm, yellow.

Fruits

spirally coiled 2–3 turns, rarely sickle-shaped, with doughnut-like hole visible in center of coils, 3–5 mm, villous, unarmed.

spirally coiled 2–6 turns; ovoid to shortly cylindric, 5–10 mm, glabrous; dorsal sutures spiny or unarmed;

spines hooked, 1–2 mm.

Seeds

several, reniform, 1–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm, yellow; brownish; greenish yellow or violet-brown.

2–12, reniform, 2–4 × 1.5–2.2 mm, light yellow to brownish.

2n

=16, 32.

=14,16.

Medicago sativa

Medicago polymorpha

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sandy or rocky areas, riparian areas, fields, roadsides, disturbed areas. Flowering Jun–Aug. 0–1500 m. BR, Casc, Col, CR, ECas, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; worldwide. Exotic.

Medicago sativa is the only Oregon species with purple or variegated flowers and with coiled, non-spiny fruits containing several seeds. It also has the largest flowers (approaching 1 cm in length) and more flowers per inflorescence than most of our other species. Medicago sativa is commonly used as a cover crop or green manure.

Open grassy areas, fields, disturbed areas, roadsides. Flowering Mar–Jun. 0–1000 m. CR, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; worldwide. Exotic.

Medicago polymorpha can be distinguished from most other Medicago species by its combination of deeply laciniate stipules and lack of pubescence.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 709
Nurul Khalib, Melanie Link-Perez
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 708
Nurul Khalib, Melanie Link-Perez
Sibling taxa
M. arabica, M. falcata, M. lupulina, M. minima, M. polymorpha, M. praecox, M. turbinata
M. arabica, M. falcata, M. lupulina, M. minima, M. praecox, M. sativa, M. turbinata
Synonyms Medicago sativa ssp. sativa Medicago hispida, Medicago hispida var. apiculata, Medicago hispida var. hispida
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