Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Medicago polymorpha

Edible: Flowers, Leaves, Seeds, Fruit, Pods

An annual herb. It lies along the ground. The stem are 50 cm long. Sometimes they twine and climb over other plants. The leaves are made up of 3 small leaflets on a short stalk. The leafy stipules near their base are deeply lobed and taper to a point. The flowers are yellow and pea-like. They are 6 mm long. Up to 6 flowers occur at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves near the ends. The fruit is a spiny spiral pod. It is 8 mm across. There are 3 varieties depending on the shape of these spines.

It grows in temperate regions. It grows in dry coastal pastures. It can grow in acid, neutral or alkaline soils. It grows below 2,200 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. Tasmania Herbarium. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Common Names: Toothed bur-clover, Burr medick, Little burclover, Alfafinha, Alfalfilla, Alfilla, Bindo arxa, Californian bur clover, Chandausi, Chinese clover, Churgali, Gaejari, Hualputa,Hualputra, Maina, Miana, Midiki, Millma garotilla, Nettho sag, Nusaka, Pega mono, Qunjirka, Rodajilla, Shanghai trefoil, Shpaishtay, Shpestaray, Sinji, Speshtai, Speshtaray, Speshtlarai, Toothed clover, Toothed medick, Trebol de caracol, Trebol de carretilla, Trevinho

Synonyms: Medicago apiculata Willd.;
Medicago denticulata Willd.;
Medicago hispida Gaertn.;
Medicago lappacea Desr.;
Medicago loretii Albert;
Medicago nigra (L.) Krocker;
Medicago nigra (L.) Krocker subsp. microcarpa (Urban) O. Bolos & Vigo;
Medicago nigra (L.) Krocker var. nigra;
Medicago pentacycla DC.;
Medicago polycarpa Godron & Gren.;
Medicago polycarpa Godron & Gren. subsp. polymorpha (L.) Cadev. & Sall.;
Medicago polycarpa Godron & Gren. subsp. reticulata (Benth.) Coste;
Medicago polymorpha L. subsp. hispida (Gaertner) Ponert;
Medicago polymorpha L. subsp. lappacea (Desr.) Bonafe;
Medicago polymorpha L. subsp. polycarpa Romero Zarco;
Medicago reticulata Benth.;
Medicago terebellum Willd.;