Medicago lupulina L.
black medick
Procumbent or ascending, annual or short-lived perennial herb; stems moderately to densely hairy in upper part. Lvs moderately to densely hairy on petiole and undersurface of leaflets, almost glabrous or sparsely hairy above; petioles c. 2-15-(40) mm long; leaflets narrowly to broadly obovate, acute to emarginate, mucronate, obtuse at base, finely or irregularly serrate in upper 1/2, uniform in colour, c. 4-20 mm long; terminal petiolule (1)-2-3-(7) mm long; lateral petiolules < 1 mm long; stipules narrowly to broadly ovate, acuminate, entire or irregularly serrate. Infl. with (5)-10-numerous fls; peduncles ± glabrous to moderately hairy, much > petioles; pedicels > calyx tube. Calyx hairy; calyx teeth narrowly triangular, usually with linear apex, > tube. Corolla yellow, 2-3 mm long. Pod moderately hairy, but ± glabrous and black when mature, reniform, coiled in ± 1 complete turn without a hole in the centre, distinctly reticulately veined but otherwise smooth, 2-3 mm diam., 1-seeded; seeds yellow to brown, c. 2 mm long.
N.: locally common throughout but not collected from Taranaki; S.: Nelson City and in the E. from Marlborough Sounds to Southland; St.: Halfmoon Bay; K., Ch.
S. Europe to W. Asia, N. Africa 1867
Usually in dry or well drained situations, waste places, riverbeds, pasture and coastal areas.
FL Nov-May.
Black medick is easily distinguished from other naturalised Medicago spp. by the small, spineless 1-seeded pods (Fig. 65); it is sometimes confused with Trifolium dubium from which it is distinguished by the deciduous corolla, curved pods, and distinctly mucronate lvs.
