Medicago arabica, the spotted medick, spotted burclover, heart clover, is a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world, usually on clifftop grasslands and grassy places.[2] It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation.
Medicago arabica | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Medicago |
Species: | M. arabica
|
Binomial name | |
Medicago arabica | |
Varieties[1] | |
M. a. var. heptacycla Urb. | |
Synonyms | |
Medica arabica Med. |
Description
editIt is a sprawling plant with a height of 20–60 cm. It has spotted trifoliate leaves (sometimes, the number of leaflets per leaf can be different). The flowers are pale yellow and appear between April and August. The fruits are legumes, strangely coiled and are sharply spiny.[2]
References
edit- ^ The use of these varieties is deprecated since intermediate forms are as frequent as the extreme forms used to identify the varieties.
- ^ a b Preston-Mafham, Rod (2004). Sea shore. [CollinsGem]. ISBN 978-0-00-717859-9.