Medicago lupulina

Medicago lupulina
Medicago lupulina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Trifolieae
Genus: Medicago
Species: M. lupulina
Binomial name
Medicago lupulina
L.

Medicago lupulina (Black Medic, sometimes spelled Medick or Meddick; also known as Black Hay, Black Nonsuch, Blackweed, etc.[1][2]) is a summer annual or perennial plant usually considered a weed. It has a tap root. Like other legumes, it has three leaflets; its center leaflet is on a separate petiole. As with other legumes, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, known as rhizobia, are found in nodules on the roots.

Contents

Description

Medicago lupulina is an annual or bi-annual plant, sometimes long-lived thanks to adventitious buds on the roots. The plant measures from 15 to 60 cm in height, with fine stems often lying flat at the beginning of growth and later erecting. The nodes bear three leaves, carried by a long petiole and have oval leaflets, partially toothed towards the tip. This species has very small yellow flowers are grouped in tight bunches. The fruit is a pod that does not open upon maturation, of a little arched form and bearing a single seed.

Note: it is sometimes confused[3] with other plants that have small leaves divided into three leaflets and small yellow flowers, such as members of:

Distribution

This plant can be seen through the old world: all of Europe, a great part of Asia, including China, Korea and Taiwan, as well as the Indian sub-continent, North Africa, the islands of the Atlantic (the Canaries, Madeira) and throughout the United States, including Hawaii.

It thrives in dry limestone grounds and coastal sand dunes, where it suffers less competition from the other plants. It is relatively cold resistant and can be seen in mountains up to 1800m.

Use

Medicago lupulina is sometimes used as a fodder plant. While being of good value, it isn't a very productive fodder. It is sometimes used in the composition of artificial meadows, especially when implanted in dry lands. It is a common sight in natural pastures. It is also one of the flowers that can be used to create honey.

Photographs

Illustrations

References

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Medicago lupulina — apyninė liucerna statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Pupinių šeimos dekoratyvinis, medingas, pašarinis augalas (Medicago lupulina), paplitęs Europoje, Azijoje ir šiaurės Afrikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Medicago lupulina angl. black medic; hop… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Medicago lupulina — Medic Med ic, n. [L. medica, Gr. ? (sc. ?) a kind of clover introduced from Media, from ? Median.] (Bot.) A leguminous plant of the genus {Medicago}. The black medic is the {Medicago lupulina}; the purple medic, or lucern, is {Medicago sativa}.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Medicago lupulina — Shamrock Sham rock, n. [L. seamrog, seamar, trefoil, white clover, white honeysuckle; akin to Gael. seamrag.] (Bot.) A trifoliate plant used as a national emblem by the Irish. The legend is that St. Patrick once plucked a leaf of it for use in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Medicago lupulina — Nonesuch None such , n. A person or thing of a sort that there is no other such; something extraordinary; a thing that has not its equal. It is given as a name to various objects, as to a choice variety of apple, a species of medic ({Medicago… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Medicago lupulina — apyninė liucerna statusas T sritis augalininkystė apibrėžtis Liucernų rūšis, paplitusi kaip laukinis augalas. atitikmenys: lot. Medicago lupulina angl. black medick; English trefoil; hop clover; hop medick; yellow trefoil rus. буркунчик; люцерна… …   Žemės ūkio augalų selekcijos ir sėklininkystės terminų žodynas

  • MEDICAGO LUPULINA L. - ЛЮЦЕРНА ХМЕЛЕВИДНАЯ — см. 431. Однолетнее растение. Двулетнее растение. Многолетнее растение. M. lupulina L. Л. хмелевидная Sp. pl. (1753) 779. Культ. фл. XIII, 1 (1950) 173. Ларин II (1951) 603, рис. Арчер и Банч (1955) 314. Гейдеман (1962) 254. S y n. М. parviflora… …   Справочник растений

  • Medicago lupulina — ID 52346 Symbol Key MELU Common Name black medick Family Fabaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Introduced to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA,… …   USDA Plant Characteristics

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