dcsimg

Associations

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Foodplant / spot causer
conidioma of Sporonema coelomycetous anamorph of Leptotrochila medicaginis causes spots on live leaf of Medicago polymorpha

Foodplant / parasite
mostly hypophyllous uredium of Uromyces pisi-sativi parasitises live leaf of Medicago polymorpha
Other: minor host/prey

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Comments

provided by eFloras
Commonly found as a. weed, often used as fodder.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 0: 302 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
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Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
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S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
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eFloras.org
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Description

provided by eFloras
Annual, somewhat spreading. Petiole 1.2-4 cm long, leaflets 10-20 mm long, 7-15 mm broad, obovate to cuneate, obtuse, truncate to retuse, slightly toothed; stipules laciniate. Inflorescence a 2-8-flowered peduncled raceme, peduncle 5-15 mm long. Pedicel c. 5 mm long. Calyx 2.5 mm long, teeth subequal to the tube. Corolla c. 4 mm long, yellow. Fruit 2-12 mm high, with 2-4 (-6) spirals, glabrous, spines hooked in 2 rows, oriented almost parallel to the surface of the disc.
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cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 0: 302 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
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eFloras.org
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eFloras

Distribution

provided by eFloras
Distribution: Pakistan; widely distributed throughout the world, except for tropical regions and desert.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 0: 302 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
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Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
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eFloras.org
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eFloras

Flower/Fruit

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Fl.Per.: March-May.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 0: 302 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
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eFloras.org
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Derivation of specific name

provided by Flora of Zimbabwe
polymorpha: of many forms
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Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings
bibliographic citation
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Medicago polymorpha L.
var. brevispina (Benth.) Heyn Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=164170
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Mark Hyde
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Bart Wursten
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Petra Ballings
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Flora of Zimbabwe

Physical Description

provided by USDA PLANTS text
Annual, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems solid, Stem s or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules adnate to petiole, Stipules toothed or laciniate, Leaves compound, Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaflets dentate or denticulate, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 3, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Inflorescences globose heads, capitate or subcapitate, Inflorescence axillary, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals orange or yellow, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing petals auriculate, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit indehiscent, Fruit spirally coiled or contorted, Fruit exserted f rom calyx, Fruit spiny, bur-like, with hooked bristles or prickles, Fruit 2-seeded, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds reniform, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.
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Dr. David Bogler
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Missouri Botanical Garden
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USDA NRCS NPDC
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USDA PLANTS text

Medicago polymorpha

provided by wikipedia EN

Medicago polymorpha is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Common names include California burclover, toothed bur clover, toothed medick and burr medic.

fruit
Wikispecies has information related to Medicago polymorpha.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Medicago polymorpha.

Description

This weedy forb is an annual broadleaf plant. It inhabits agricultural land, roadsides and other disturbed areas. It is found in lawns as well, where its burrs are able to cling to the clothing or fur of any species that pass near it, thus facilitating geographic spread via these seed capsules. It makes a poor lawn in the late summer, when the leaves have yellowed and fruit sets into the 7 mm seed heads that are covered with hooked prickles.

Burclover is a good forage for livestock, but the fruit is prickly. All classes of livestock, except horses and mules, can feed its leaves.[1]

New seedlings have seed leaves that are oblong. The first true leaf is rounded. Later leaves will be tripartite, with a characteristic clover-like shape, appearing alternately on the stems. Leaflets have slightly serrated edges. The tiny yellow flowers attract small butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Full grown plant stems are up to 2 feet (60 cm) long, and usually sprawl along and/or under the ground. The stems often root at the nodes; adult plants, and even young plants that have been able to grow for a few weeks undisturbed can be very difficult to pull out, leaving behind tap roots and a network of plant pieces when pulled. Mechanically removing top growth from this plant will not usually eradicate it. If not properly managed, burclover may then become invasive and displace more desirable vegetation.[1]

Being a member of the family Fabaceae, the flowers are clover-like, lipped and clustered. Bloom takes place from March to June in the plant's native territory. Flowers (3–6 mm long) are small, bright yellow, and cluster into flower heads of 2 to 10 flowers at the stem tips. The fruit is a pod that coils tightly 2 to 6 times and has rows of prickles on the outside edge of the pod. The fruits are about 6–7 mm across. They start out green and relatively soft, but quickly turn brown and hard. Inside the pod are several seeds—usually yellow or tan and kidney-shaped. The burred fruiting bodies can be quite difficult to remove from softer fabrics, such as fleeces and knitted socks.[2][3][4]

Culinary uses

The plant is edible and consumed as a vegetable in China, primarily in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai.[5] Its Chinese culinary names include 草頭 (Wu tsho-doe, Mandarin Pinyin cǎo tóu), 金花菜 (Wu cin-hau tse, Mandarin Pinyin jīn huā cài), 三叶菜 (sān yè cài) and 秧草 (yāng cǎo), while 南苜蓿 (nán mùxu) is its scientific name. It is also consumed in indigenous Otomanguean communities in Southern Mexico.[6] In the Triqui language it is known as kkweej chakáj, meaning 'edible green (of the) pig.'

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Heuzé V., Thiollet H., Tran G., Delagarde R., Lebas F., 2016. Bur clover (Medicago polymorpha). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/276
  2. ^ Texas County Level Distribution for Medicago polymorpha (burclover) | USDA PLANTS
  3. ^ PLANTS Profile for Medicago polymorpha (burclover) | USDA PLANTS
  4. ^ Weed Gallery: California burclover-UC IPM
  5. ^ Khan, Hamayun (2016). "Nutritional Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Selected Wild Edible Plants". Journal of Food Biochemistry. 40: 61–70. doi:10.1111/jfbc.12189.
  6. ^ Rangel-Landa, Selene; Casas, Alejandro; Rivera-Lozoya, Erandi; Torres García, Ignacio; Vallejo Ramos, Mariana (2016). "Ixcatec ethnoecology: plant management and biocultural heritage in Oaxaca, Mexico". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 12: 1–83. doi:10.1186/s13002-016-0101-3.

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wikipedia EN

Medicago polymorpha: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Medicago polymorpha is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Common names include California burclover, toothed bur clover, toothed medick and burr medic.

fruit Wikispecies has information related to Medicago polymorpha. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Medicago polymorpha.
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