MEDICAGO

Medicago L., Sp. Pl. 2: 778. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 339. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 2. 91. 1872; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 89. 1879; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 301; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 553

Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves pinnately trifoliate; stipules adnate to petiole at base; leaflets denticulate, lateral veins running into teeth. Inflorescence a pedunculate axillary raceme, flowers crowded into heads. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, pedicellate and bracteate, bracts small and caducous. Calyx 5, fused, teeth 5, subequal. Corolla papilionaceous, mostly yellow or less often purplish, free from staminal tube; vexillum oblong to obovate, usually reflexed; wings and keel with hooked appendages, keel shorter than wings. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free; filaments not dilated, apical portion of staminal tube arched; anthers uniform. Monocarpellary, ovary sessile or shortly stipitate, unilocular with numerous ovules, placentation marginal; style subulate; stigma subcapitate, oblique. Legumes compressed, spirally coiled, curved, falcate or straight, surface reticulate, sometimes armed with spines, indehiscent, 1-many seeded. Seeds small, smooth or rough.

90 species

KEY TO SPECIES

1. Legumes spirally coiled……………………………………………………M. polymorpha
+ Legumes not spirally coiled……………………………………………….…M. monantha

Medicago monantha

Medicago monantha (C.A. Mey.) Trautv., Bull. Sci. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Petersbourg 8: 272. 1841; Trigonella monantha Mey., Verz. Pfl. Casp. Meer. 137. 1831; T. geminiflora Bunge.

Annual herbs, 20-40 (-65) cm. Stem prostrate or ascending, branched at base, ridged, pilose. Leaves pinnately trifoliate; stipules lanceolate, 2-4-fid, 5-7 mm, sparsely pilose; petioles 1-1.5(-2.5) cm long with adaxial groove; petiolules ca. 1 mm long; leaflets oblong-obovate, obovate or triangular-obovate, 5-23 mm x 4-14 mm, pilose on midrib abaxially, subglabrous adaxially, lateral veins 5-8 pairs running into teeth, base cuneate, margin denticulate in apical 2/3-3/4part, apex round or truncate. Inflorescence 1-4-flowered in umbellate clusters; axillary, peduncle 7-9 mm long, pilose. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, bracteate, bracts 1 mm long, linear. Calyx 5-6 mm long, campanulate, 5-toothed, teeth subequal, pilose, shorter than calyx tube. Corolla 5, papilionaceous, yellow, ca. 8 mm long; vexillum 8 mm x 5 mm, obovate, emarginate, yellow with brown lines; wings and keel smaller (ca. 5 mm) than vexillum, clawed. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); vexillary stamen free; 9 fused, sheath ca. 4 mm long, free part of filaments short, 0.5-1 mm; anthers uniform. Ovary flat, ca. 4 mm long, pilose; ovary unilocular, ovules 18-24, placentation marginal; style short, 0.5 mm; stigma flat. Legumes straight, compressed, 40-50(-80) mm x 1-3 mm, appressed pubescent, veins reticulate forming patterns of squares or pentagons. Seeds numerous, brown, oblong-elliptic, 2.5 mm x 1.5 mm.

Flowering and Fruiting: May to August
Common Names: Medick