black medic
Family
FabaceaeScientific Name
Medicago lupulinaOther Common Names:
hop clover
hop medic
nonesuch
yellow trefoil
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Medicago lupulina L. var. cupaniana
Medicago lupulina L. var. glandulosa
Habit
This plant is a summer annual with a spreading, crawling growing habit. The plant produces a small cluster of bright yellow flowers from May through July. The seeds each come from a kidney shaped, hairy, black pod.
Leaves
Leaves are composed of three wedge-shaped leaflets that are almost elliptic. The leaves are sparsely hairy, and are toothed near the near the tip.
Identifying Characteristics
Once in the ground, the seeds can remain for many years before sprouting.
Flower Seed Head
Flowers sprout in a compressed cluster with as many as 50 individual flowers per cluster.
Seed Fruit
The seeds each come from a kidney shaped, hairy, black pod.
Where Found
This plant prefers compressed soils, such as high traffic areas near sidewalks. It is also common in lawns, open fields, roadsides, and all other types of turf
Growth Habit
prostrate and nonwoody
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
pencil
Dominant Flower Color
yellow
Flower Symmetry
radial symmetery
Leaf Hairs
has hairs
Leaf Shape
Varies:
round,
oval,
triangle
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Margin
Varies:
entire,
serrated
Leaf Structure
trifoliate
Leaf Stalk
shorter than leaf
Stem Hairs
has hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
Varies:
taproot,
rhizomes present
Life Cycle
summer annual
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb