Medicago lupulina L.                                                                Fabaceae   Pea Family                                                                                    Eurasia Black Medick  Hop Clover  Yellow Trefoil

                                             June Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Annual or sometimes perennial, many-branched from base, prostrate to decumbent, the stems 2-6 dm. long, pubescent; petioles 2-15 mm. long; lfts. obovate to roundish, 5-15 mm. long; stipules lance-ovate, few toothed; peduncles slender, 1-2.5 cm. long, with short terminal few-fld. spikes; fls. yellow, 1.5-2mm long, the calyx villous; fr. reniform, concentrically veined, smooth, black when ripe, 1-seeded, unarmed.

Habitat:  Naturalized in waste places, weed in lawns, fields and gardens.  Blooms April-July.

Name: Greek, medice, name of alfalfa, since it came to Greece from Medea.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 463).  Latin, lupus, the hop plant.  Ex: lupul-inus. Jaeger (145).  The flowers or fruits resemble those of the hop plant Humulus lupulus.

General:  Rare in the study area with only two plants found and these small and immature; they were growing along the watercourse formed by a storm drain coming from Eastbluff Drive, about 300 ft. northerly of its intersection with Back Bay Dr.  (my comment).          Highly regarded as a forage plant and because of this it has been given the name “nonesuch” indicative of superiority.  (Robbins et al. 263).

Text Ref:  Hickman Ed. 637; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 463; Robbins et al. 263.

Photo Ref:  May-June 04 # 20.

Identity by: John Johnson.

First Found:  June 2004.

Computer Ref: Plant Data 552.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit: 8/24/04.