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Medicago minima

(L.) Bartal. (1776)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Medicago

small bur clover

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual herbs.

Stems: Stems decumbent, 1–5 dm long, many-branched, villous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound. Alternate. Leaflets obovate to cuneate–oblong, 5–16 mm long, 3–10 mm wide, sometimes with a dark spot. Apex rounded to emarginate. Surfaces appressed villous, less so with age. Margins denticulate in upper ½, Entire to shallowly dentate at base. Leaflets with veins extending to margins. Petiolate. Stipules ovate to lanceolate, 4–7 mm long, adnate to petiole.

Flowers: Flowers (1–)3–6(–8) in racemes, with an explosive tripping mechanism, bracts short. Flowers papilionaceous; bracteoles absent. Calyx campanulate, the tube short, 5-toothed, the teeth subequal. Corolla yellow, 3–5 mm long, deciduous after anthesis, distinct from staminal tube, keel obtuse, shorter than wings. Stamens 10; upper filament distinct, the other 9 connate into a tube, none of the filaments dilated. Ovary superior, sessile; style subulate, glabrous.

Fruit: Pods subglobose; exserted from calyx; reniform; spirally twisted in 3–5 turns; sparsely pubescent and somewhat glandular; transverse veins prominent; not anastomosing; submarginal and marginal vein with spreading; uncinate prickles 3–4 mm long; groove between the veins wide. Seeds several.

Ploidy: 2n = 16

Habitat: Pastures and along roadsides.

Elevation Range: 670–915 m.

Historical Distribution

Synonyms (59)

Medica hirsuta (L.) Bubani (1899)
Medicago americana Larrañaga (1923)
Medicago arabica var. echinata Weston (1772)
Medicago brachyacantha A.Kern. (1868)
Medicago elongata (Rochel) Simonk. ex Kern (1893)
Medicago graeca Hornem. (1815)
Medicago hirsuta (L.) Bartal. (1776)
Medicago hirsutissima Cirillo ex Steud. (1841)
Medicago inconspicua Nevski (1937)
Medicago lineata Tausch (1831)
Medicago meyeri Gruner (1867)
Medicago minima f. glandulosa H.Lindb. (1906)
Medicago minima f. mollissima (Roth) Urb. (1873)
Medicago minima f. pubescens (Webb) Urb. (1873)
Medicago minima f. pulchella (Lowe) Kožuharov (1976)
Medicago minima f. viscida (W.D.J.Koch) Urb. (1873)
Medicago minima subsp. brevispina (Benth.) Ponert (1973)
Medicago minima subsp. ononidea Coincy ex Rouy (1899)
Medicago minima subsp. pulchella (Lowe) Arcang. (1882)
Medicago minima subvar. canescens (Ser.) Rouy (1899)
Medicago minima subvar. elongata (Rochel) Rouy (1899)
Medicago minima subvar. pubescens (Webb) Rouy (1899)
Medicago minima subvar. stenophylla (Clavaud) Rouy (1899)
Medicago minima subvar. viscida (W.D.J.Koch) Rouy (1899)
Medicago minima var. brachyodon Rchb. (1832)
Medicago minima var. brevispina Benth. (1831)
Medicago minima var. canescens Ser. (1825)
Medicago minima var. compacta Neyraut (1897)
Medicago minima var. elongata Rochel (1828)
Medicago minima var. exilis Lange (1865)
Medicago minima var. graeca (Hornem.) Candargy (1898)
Medicago minima var. hirsuta (L.) Mérat (1812)
Medicago minima var. incana Gaudin (1829)
Medicago minima var. intermedia Kožuharov (1965)
Medicago minima var. longiseta Ser. (1825)
Medicago minima var. longispina Lowe (1868)
Medicago minima var. maior Moris (1837)
Medicago minima var. maritima Gray (1822)
Medicago minima var. mitis Phil. (1872)
Medicago minima var. mollissima (Roth) W.D.J.Koch (1836)
Medicago minima var. pubescens Webb (1842)
Medicago minima var. pulchella (Lowe) Lowe (1862)
Medicago minima var. recta (Desf.) Mérat (1812)
Medicago minima var. stenophylla Clavaud (1884)
Medicago minima var. viscida Schur (1877)
Medicago minima var. vulgaris Urb. (1873)
Medicago minima var. winterlii Priszter (1972)
Medicago mollissima Roth (1806)
Medicago ononidea (Coincy ex Rouy) A.W.Hill (1926)
Medicago polonica Bellardi ex Balb. (1834)
Medicago polymorpha var. hirsuta L. (1753)
Medicago polymorpha var. minima L. (1753)
Medicago polymorpha var. recta Desf. (1799)
Medicago pulchella Lowe (1838)
Medicago recta (Desf.) Willd. (1802)
Medicago sessilis Peyron ex Post (1896)
Medicago villosa Brot. (1804)
Ononis ornithopodioides Sieber ex Tausch (1831)
Spirocarpus minimus (L.) Opiz (1852)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Notes

  • 670-915 m
  • Description digitized by Tiffany Flood
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • First collected on Ldna'i in l9l4 (Munro 295, BISH)

Bibliography

Name Published In: Cat. Piante Siena: 60 (1776)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:684 (L, M, H); Wagner & Herbst 1995:20 (K)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. Makawao, Ulupalakua. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hosaka, E. Y. 1813 Maui US 4/13/1937
2 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. Hamakuapoko. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hank Oppenheimer H50205 Maui PTBG 5/4/2002
3 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. no. kohala, keamoku. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN e. y. hosaka 3583 Hawaii US 2/23/1948
4 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. east maui, makawao district, ulupalakua occasional in pasture PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hosaka, e.y. collector number: 1813 Maui BISH 4/13/1937
5 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. No. Kohala, Keamoku. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hosaka, E. Y. 3583 Hawaii US 2/23/1948
6 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. makawao, ulupalakua. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN e. y. hosaka 1813 Maui US 4/13/1937
7 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. kula jct. (37 and 377) PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hobdy, r.w. collector number: 478 Maui BISH 4/4/1979
8 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. lihue, niumalu flat; nawiliwili bay along small boat harbor base of rock cliff on W ridge. In shade of Metrosideros, Antidesma, Psidium PRESERVED_SPECIMEN flynn, t. lorence, d. collector number: 2142 Oahu BISH 4/3/1987
9 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. n. kohala, keamoku On dead 7 living coral. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hosaka, e.y. collector number: 3583 Oahu BISH 2/23/1948
10 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. Koele PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Munro, G.C. 295 Lanai BISH 6/28/1914
11 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. N. Kohala, Keamoku dry pasture PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hosaka, E.Y. 3583 Hawaii BISH 2/23/1948
12 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. Koele PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Munro, G.C. 362 Lanai BISH 6/28/1919
13 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. koele PRESERVED_SPECIMEN munro, g.c. collector number: 362 Lanai BISH 6/28/1919
14 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. Kula Jct. (37 and 377) PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hobdy, R.W. 478 Maui BISH 4/4/1979
15 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. koele PRESERVED_SPECIMEN munro, g.c. collector number: 295 Lanai BISH 6/28/1914
16 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. East Maui, Makawao District, Ulupalakua occasional in pasture PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hosaka, E.Y. 1813 Maui BISH 4/13/1937
17 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. Lihue, Niumalu Flat; Nawiliwili Bay along small boat harbor with Melilotus indica PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Flynn, T. 2142 Kauai BISH 4/3/1987
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