Medicago lupulina
From Bugwoodwiki
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Overview
- Appearance
- Medicago lupulina is a low-growing summer or winter annual broadleaf plant growing to 1.6 ft. (0.5 m) tall.
- Foliage
- Stems are light green or reddish green and densely covered with white hairs. The alternate compound leaves are trifoliate.
- Flowers
- Flowers are yellow and usually clustered in groups of 15-50 flowers blooming from April to August. Each flower is about 0.13 in. (0.32 cm) long and each cluster is about 0.25 in. (0.64 cm) across.
- Fruit
- Each cluster of flowers is replaced by a dense cluster of seedpods. Each seedpod is dark-colored, hairy, strongly curled, and about 0.13 in. (0.32 cm) long containing a single dark seed that is somewhat flattened and reniform (kidney-shaped).
- Ecological Threat
- Medicago lupulina is usually found in highly disturbed areas and can be found in prairies, cropland, pastures, areas along railroads and roadsides. It is native to Eurasia.
Images from Bugwood.org
