520 FABACEAE 



small, yellow or violet, in 2-3-flowered umbels or several- to many-flowered axillary 

 heads or racemes. Calyx-teeth short, nearly equal. Standard obovate or oblong; wings 

 oblong; keel obtuse. Stamens diadelphous. Styles subulate; pod curved or spirally coiled, 

 reticulated or spiny, indehiscent, 1- to several-seeded. [Name Greek, from Medea, 

 whence the Medic, or Lucerne, was derived.] 



A genus of about SO species, natives of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Type species, Medicago sativa L. 



Flowers blue; perennial with deep tap root. 1. M. sativa. 



Flowers yellow. 



Pod reniform, 1-seeded; perennials. 2. M. lupulina. 



Pod spirally coiled, several-seeded; plants strictly annual. 

 Margins of pods armed with prickles. 



Leaflets with a conspicuous dark spot. 3. M. arabica. 



Leaflets green throughout. 4. M. hispida. 



Margins of pods unarmed. 5. M. apiculata. 



1. Medicago sativa L. Alfalfa, Lucerne. Fig. 2648. 



Medicago sativa L. Sp. PI. 778. 1753. 



Medicago media Pers. Syn. PI. 2: 356. 1805. 



Medica media Fourr. Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyons II. 16: 359. 1868. 



Perennial from an elongated taproot, much branched, decumbent or ascending, 3-8 dm. high, 

 glabrous or with a few scattered hairs when young. Leaves petioled; leaflets oblanceolate or 

 obovate, 10-25 mm. long, dentate above, obtuse to emarginate at apex, cuneate at base; stipules 

 entire ; flowers in a short dense raceme, violet ; petals about 8 mm. long ; pod coiled into 2 or 3 

 spirals, unarmed, pubescent. 



Extensively cultivated in the Pacific States and often escaped along roadsides and waste places. Introduced 

 from Europe. Purple Medic. May-Aug. 



2. Medicago lupulina L. Black Medic. Fig. 2649. 



Medicago lupulina L. Sp. PI. 779. 1753. 



Medica lupulina Scop. Fl. Cam. ed. 2. 2: 88. 1772. 



Annual or sometimes perennial, pubescent, branched at the base, the branches procumbent or 

 ascending, 3-6 dm. long. Leaves petioled; leaflets obovate to nearly orbicular, 10-15 mm. long, 

 denticulate above ; stipules entire ; flowers in short spikes on slender peduncles, yellow, scarcely 

 2 mm. long; pods smooth, reniform, only the acuminate tip coiled, black when ripe, 1-seeded. 



Native of Europe; widely distributed, usually growing in moist fields. April-July. 



Medicago lupulina var. cupaniana (Guss.) Boiss. Fl. Orien. 2: 105. 1872. (Medicago cupaniana Guss. 

 Fl. Sic. Syn. 2: 362. 1844.) Perennial, the branches rooting and forming dense mats. A troublesome lawn weed, 

 especially in California. Native of Europe and Asia. 



3. Medicago arabica All. Spotted Bur-clover or Medic. Fig. 2650. 



Medicago arabica All. Fl. Ped. 1 : 315. 1785. 

 Medicago cordata Desr. Lam. Encycl. 3: 636. 1789. 

 Medicago maculata Sibth. Fl. Oxon. 232. 1794. 



Annual, branching from the base, the branches decumbent or ascending, 2-6 dm. long, gla- 

 brous or nearly so. Leaves usually long-petioled ; leaflets broadly obovate or obcordate, 10-25 

 mm. long, conspicuously marked with a large central dark spot, shallow-denticulate, the teeth 

 not acicular ; peduncles 2-5-flowered ; pods compressed and coiled into a spiral, 5-6 mm. broad, 

 the edges grooved between the rows of prickles. 



Native of southeastern Europe and Persia; sparingly introduced in the Pacific States. April— June. 



4. Medicago hispida Gaertner. Bur-clover. Fig. 2651. 



Medicago hispida Gaertner, Fruct. 2: 349. 1791. 

 Medicago denticulata Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 1414. 1800. 



Annual, glabrous or with a few appressed hairs, branched from the base, the branches spread- 

 ing or ascending, 2-8 dm. long. Leaves petioled; leaflets obovate or obcordate, 10-15 mm. long, 

 sharply denticulate ; stipules with several elongated acicular teeth ; peduncles slender, 2-5-flow- 

 ered; pods coiled into a spiral of 2 or 3 coils, reticulate, the keeled edge armed on either side by 

 a row of curved or hooked prickles. 



Native of southern Europe; widespread over the Pacific States, especially in the Upper Sonoran Zone. The 

 hooked prickles of the burs are excellent illustrations of adaptations to animal distribution. March-June. 



5. Medicago apiculata Willd. Smooth-burred Medic. Screw-clover. Fig. 2652. 



Medicago apiculata Willd. Sp. PI. 3: 1414. 1800. 



Annual, the stems branching from the base, the branches ascending or prostrate, 2-4 dm. 

 long. Leaves petioled; leaflets broadly obovate or obcordate, denticulate above, 5-15 mm. long, 

 sparsely pubescent ; peduncles shorter than the petioles, 2-5-flowered ; pods coiled into 3-5 

 spirals, 4-5 mm. broad, strongly reticulate, without prickles. 



Native of Europe; sparingly but widely distributed in the Pacific States. April-June. 



Medicago orbicularis All. Fl. Ped. 1: 314. 1785. Annual, sparsely villous-pubescent and glandular 

 throughout, the stems branching from the base. Leaves petioled; leaflets narrowly obovate, merely obtuse at apex; 

 peduncles slender, recurved, 1-2-flowered; pods coiled into 5-6 closely pressed spirals, 10-12 mm. broad, reticu- 

 late but without prickles. Native of Europe, sparingly introduced in southern California (Santa Ana). 



