Black medic
Common Name:
medic, black
Scientific Name:
Medicago lupulina
Family:
Fabaceae
Lifecycle:
Annual
Features
Annual legumenous species with creeping growth habit. Stems slender lightly hairy with hairs appressed to stem. Leaves trifoliate, slightly toothed especially at apex of leaf. Leaves oval to obovate. Middle leaflet petiolate (stalked) often appearing as leaves are not trifoliate. Inflorescence a yellow spherical cluster of ~10 smaller flowers. Inflorescence similar to small hop clover. Fruit a cylindrical cluster of seeds that turn black at maturation.
Description
Winter annual weed species with majority of growth occurring in spring months. As temperatures increase, black medic becomes more aggressive creeping annual with greater elongated internodes. Very similar to small and large hop clover. Black medic has greater pubescence and black fruit cluster are distinguishing characteristics. A very sporadic species throughout the southeast.