Fabaceae
Medicago

Medicago lessingii Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex Kar.

First published in Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 12: 150 (1839)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Europe to W. Siberia and Iran. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
Vernacular
Lyutzerna Pyreinaya
[ILDIS]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
Vernacular
Lyutzerna Golubovataya
[ILDIS]

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit
Perrenial herb, stems prostrate to erect, 10-100 cm long, branching, arising from a crown, rhizome or roots. vegetative parts usually with simple hairs, usually appressed
Morphology Leaves Stipules
stipules laceolate-acuminate, enture or basally toothed
Morphology Leaves
leaflets 5-30 mm long, 2-15 mm wide, linear or lanceolate, apical margin serrate, more or less glabrescent above, underside more or less pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
composed of 3-30(-50) flowers, usually racemose, peduncle longer than subtending petiole
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
flowers 5-15 mm long; calyx usually <4.5 mm long, glabrous or pubescent; corolla purple, often with a bluish tint
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
pod brownish, with at least 1.5 coils, coils loosely to tightly appressed, fruit intersuture width usually <1.8 mm, glandular hairs absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
2-20 per pod, ovoid to deltoid, surface smooth, 1-1.5 mm long, about 1 mm wide.
Ecology
often found in semi-deserts and saline environments, especially along the caspian sea coast. altitude   230 - 1480
Distribution
Eastern Turkey, Iran, EurAsia as far East as Kazakhstan.
Conservation
Least concern
Phenology
Flower (september), fruit (september)
[SCG]

Uses

Use
Forage
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Seed Collection Guides

    • Seed Collection Guides
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0