Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Medicago lupulina
FAMILY
Fabaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Black Medick from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Medicago lupulina
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Medicago lupulina
SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Medicago lupulina
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-16-003:
Medicago lupulina FAMILY Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Medicago lupulina
COMMON NAME:
Black Medick, Yellow Trefoil
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_melu_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_melu_007_lvd
)
USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970 swus_page_231
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_m_lupulina_9164
March Catawba County NC
Dark green taprooted annual with a spreading, prostrate growth habit, per Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses (Murphy et al., 1992).
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_m_lupulina_0228
May Iredell County NC
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_m_lupulina_0231
May Iredell County NC
Flowers in small heads, in a sprawling plant that resembles the Hop Clovers, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977).
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_m_lupulina_0231b
May Iredell County NC
Flowers fall off soon after blooming, revealing curved legumes, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_m_lupulina_0231c
May Iredell County NC
Leaflets obovate to elliptic, toothed near (& with a small spur at) the tip, per Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses (Murphy et al., 1992).
COMPARE
leaves that are trifoliolate and pinnately compound
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Medicago lupulina
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Medicago lupulina
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Medicago lupulina
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Medicago lupulina
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-16-003:
Medicago lupulina
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Medicago lupulina
922
Forb
Annual
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas, vacant lots, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Common
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
LEAVES:
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Mostly alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Yellow
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-toothed campanulate calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary
Inflorescence an axillary raceme
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Blackish
Legume
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p058
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p231
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p202
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p200
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p086
- Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses (Murphy et al., 1992) p141
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".