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Little Medic

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Little Medic photos

Scientific Name:Medicago minima
Population of Little Medic
Population of Little Medic
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa.

Plant Description:

Annual herb with a prostrate or ascending habit. Stems 20-60 cm long, moderately hairy. Leaves are trifoliate with obovate leaflets, 3-15 mm long and 2-10 mm wide, hairy on both surfaces, sometimes with dark flecks on the upper surface. Stipules (leaf-like structures at the base of the leaf and flower-stalks) 8 mm long and hairy.

Flowers yellow, 1-8. Pod with 3-5 coils, disc-shaped or ovoid, 3-6 mm diameter, sparsely hairy and with spines to 4 mm long.

Habitat:

Scattered across the north-western and northern regions of the State in pastures, disturbed ground, road edges, along water courses and on flats around swamps and lakes.

RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, WimmeraS0, *S1, *S2W0, W1, W2
*may be found on or fringing saline sites during the wetter parts of the year

Comments:

Similar in general appearance to other medics such as
Burr Medic (Medicago polymorpha). Also similar to clovers (Trifolium spp.) but differentiated by having pods that exceed the calyx (the leaf-like outer whorl of the flower. Most medic species have spirally coiled pods; many with short spines.

Little Medic photos

Little Medic plants
Little Medic plants
Photo: A J Brown
Flowers of Little Medic
Flowers of Little Medic
Photo: A J Brown

Little Medic burr
Little Medic burr
Photo: A J Brown

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