Fabaceae
Medicago

Medicago lupulina L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 779 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Europe to Cacucasus, N. & NE. Tropical Africa to Arabian Peninsula Indian Subcontinent to China. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as animal food, a poison, a medicine and invertebrate food, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
carretón de caballo, carretón de huerta
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 2550 - 3600 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
A ± pubescent annual or short-lived perennial, with prostrate or ascending stems up to 50 cm. long.
Morphology Leaves
Stipules green, cordate on the free side at the base, lanceolate, toothed, the teeth about as broad as long; petiole very short in the upper leaves, up to 2·5 cm. in the lower leaves; rhachis above lateral leaflets 2–3 mm. long; leaflets cuneate-obovate, up to 14 mm. long by 12 mm. wide, pubescent on both surfaces.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Peduncle up to 3·5 cm. long; raceme dense, 5–20-flowered; bracts white, filiform, ±0·5 mm. long; pedicel ± 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent, 1–1·5 mm. long, the teeth subulate at the tip, rather longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla yellow, 2·5–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod 1-seeded, strongly veined, curved through 180°, ± 3 by 2 mm., sparsely pubescent, black when ripe.
Habitat
Upland grassland, especially in trampled areas near water; 1800–2900 m.; rainfall 500–800 mm.; probably not native
Distribution
Europe, N. Africa, temperate Asia, introduced in other temperate regions K3 K4 T2
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual or short-lived perennial, prostrate or ascending, up to 60 cm long, ± pubescent
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets cuneate-obovate, up to 14 x 12 mm, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes dense, usually many-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla yellow, 2–3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod reniform, c. 3 x 2 mm, strongly veined, sparsely pubescent, black when ripe, 1-seeded.
Distribution
N2 Europe, N Africa, temperate Asia, introduced in other temperate regions as well as E Africa.
Ecology
Altitude range 1600–2060 m.
Vernacular
Sudeho (Somali).
[FSOM]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2550–3600 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cundinamarca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 2550 - 3600 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Distribution
Naturalised in Colombia.
[UPB]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Afromontane (upland) anthropic landscapes, Afromontane grassland, Mediterranean bushland & thicket, Mediterranean grasslands.
Morphology General Habit
Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
Vernacular
Apinveida Lucerna, Apynine Liucerne, Arvuit Gailukanman, Black Medic, Black Medick, Burkunchik, Gelbklee, Hop Clover, Hopfenklee, Hopfen-Luzerne, Humal-lutsern, Kashkayunuchka, Khamyrmaya Garayoncha, Lucherne Lupuline, Luzerne Lupuline, Lyutzerna Khmelevi
[ILDIS]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Use Animal Food
Eaten by animals (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Use
Environmental, Forage, Weed
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0