Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


Home	About NPWRC	Our Science	Staff	Employment	Contacts	Common Questions	About the Site

Western Wetland Flora

Field Office Guide to Plant Species

Black Medic
Medicago lupulina L.

JPG -- Species Photo JPG -- Distribution Map

Family: Pea (Leguminosae)
Flowering: April-November
Field Marks: This species is recognized by its trifoliolate leaves and its small heads of yellow flowers that drop their petals before the fruits are mature.
Habitat: Old fields, pastures, roadsides, disturbed areas.
Habit: Annual or less commonly a perennial herb with a taproot.
Stems: Spreading, much branched from the base, up to 2 feet long, usually with some degree of hairiness.
Leaves: Alternate, trifoliolate, with conspicuous stipules at their base; leaflets obovate to nearly spherical, up to 3/4 inch long, rounded or slightly notched at the tip but usually with a small projection, with or without teeth, usually hairy
Flowers: 10 or more in spherical heads, the heads ovoid to cylindric, up to 1/4 inch in diameter, on stalks up to 1 inch long.
Sepals: 5, green, united below, hairy, 1/12-1/10 inch long.
Petals: 5, yellow, 1/8-1/6 inch long, with the configuration of a sweetpea flower, falling away before the fruits mature.
Stamens: 10.
Pistils: Ovary superior, smooth.
Fruits: Pods wider than tall, black, veiny, up to 1/6 inch long, 1-seeded; seed greenish brown to brown to black.
Notes: This species is native of Europe but has spread to most parts of the United States. Some plants have glandular hairs on their leaves, stems, and pods. This species is an important plant for grazing animals.

Previous Species -- California Water-leaf (Hydrophyllum occidentale)
Return to Species List -- Group 6
Next Species -- White Sweetclover (Melilotus alba)

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/species/6/medilupu.htm
Page Contact Information: Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 06:26:22 EST
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]