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Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
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Medicago L.

MEDICAGO L.

Annual to perennial, procumbent to erect herbs or shrubs. Lvs pinnately 3-foliolate; principal lateral veins thin and straight, terminating at leaflet margin often in a tooth; stipules adnate to petiole. Infl. axillary, racemose, sometimes forming dense heads, few- to many-flowered; bracts present subtending fls. Calyx teeth 5, ± equal. Corolla deciduous after flowering. Vexillary stamen free, the others connate; anthers uniform. Style glabrous; stigma subcapitate. Pod 2-valved, falcate or spirally coiled, scarcely dehiscent, spinous or not armed, few- to many-seeded, rarely 1-2-seeded; seeds estrophiolate, smooth and rounded in N.Z. spp.

Key

1
Perennial; corolla 6-15 mm long, purplish or yellow to orange, if 6-8 mm long then infl. > 5-flowered
2
Annual or short-lived perennial; corolla 2-7 mm long, yellow, if 5-7 mm long then infl. < 5-flowered
4
2
Shrub; infl. 4-10-(12)-flowered; pod 10-15 mm diam
2. *arborea
Herb; infl. (6)-8-many-flowered; pod 3-6 mm diam.
3
3
Corolla yellow
3. *glomerata
Corolla purple, blue, pale blue or almost white
7. *sativa
4
Corolla 6-7 mm long; infl. 1-3-flowered; lvs with glandular hairs; pod 10-13 mm diam. and not armed
*scutellata ζ
Corolla 2-6 mm long; infl. 1-many-flowered; lvs with glandular hairs, simple hairs, or ± glabrous; pod 2-8 mm diam. (excluding spines), spinous or not armed
5
5
Lvs almost glabrous or sparsely hairy
6
Lvs moderately to densely hairy
7
6
Leaflets usually with dark markings; pod faintly reticulately veined
1. *arabica
Leaflets uniform in colour; pod distinctly reticulately veined
6. *nigra
7
Infl. (5)-10-many-flowered; peduncles much > petioles; pod in ± 1 complete turn, not armed
4. *lupulina
Infl. 1-6-flowered; peduncles ± = petioles; pod in 3-5 turns, spiny
5. *minima

c. 50 spp., Europe, C. and W. Asia, N. Africa to Ethiopia, few spp. in tropical and South Africa. Naturalised spp. 8.

The treatment here follows Lesins, K. A. and Lesins, I., Genus Medicago (Leguminosae): a Taxogenetic Study (1979).

Fig. 65. Pods of Medicago. A M. arabica; B M. nigra; C M. lupulina; D M. sativa. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X5R]
Fig. 65. Pods of Medicago. A M. arabica; B M. nigra; C M. lupulina; D M. sativa. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X5R]
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