black medic

Medicago lupulina L.

Appearance: Medicago lupulina is a low-growing summer or winter annual broadleaf plant growing to 1.6 ft. (0.5 m) tall.
Foliage: Stems are light green or reddish green and densely covered with white hairs. The alternate compound leaves are trifoliate.
Flowers: Flowers are yellow and usually clustered in groups of 15-50 flowers blooming from April to August. Each flower is about 0.13 in. (0.32 cm) long and each cluster is about 0.25 in. (0.64 cm) across.
Fruit: Each cluster of flowers is replaced by a dense cluster of seedpods. Each seedpod is dark-colored, hairy, strongly curled, and about 0.13 in. (0.32 cm) long containing a single dark seed that is somewhat flattened and reniform (kidney-shaped).
Ecological Threat: Medicago lupulina is usually found in highly disturbed areas and can be found in prairies, cropland, pastures, areas along railroads and roadsides. It is native to Eurasia.

Plant(s) Habit and flowers
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Plant(s)
Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Foliage
Bruce Ackley, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Flower(s) foliage
Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Foliage flowers
Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Flower(s) foliage; fruit
Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Flower(s)
Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Fruit(s)
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

Seed(s)
Bruce Ackley, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage