Medicago polymorpha L.

Smooth Bur Clover; Toothed Medick

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Smooth Bur Clover is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is native to the Mediterranean basin. In Alabama it is found primarily in the southern half of the state. Smooth Bur Clover occurs on roadsides, in lawns, in fallow fields, in pastures, and on other disturbed areas. It is an annual with a tap root. The stems are decumbent, glabrous or slightly pubescent, and green in color. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, pinnately 3-foliolate, with deeply lacerate stipules. The leaflets are obovate to obcordate in outline, glabrous above and slightly pubescent below, with margins toothed above the middle. The leaflets are longer than wide, without a reddish blotch on the upper surface. Flowers are produced in few-flowered axillary racemes. The flowers are papilionaceous, yellow in color, with short pedicles. The fruit is a tightly coiled legume with 2-3 rows of spines arising from ridges. Smooth Bur Clover is sometimes planted as forage for livestock and for erosion control.—A. Diamond

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Not Native

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