Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Medicago lupulina

Common name

Black medic

Family

Fabaceae

Where found

Grassy areas, often moist, roadsides, and disturbed sites. Mainly Sydney area and the ACT. Sporadic elsewhere.

Notes

Introduced annual or short-lived perennial herb to 1 m tall or prostrate. Stems more or less hairy, often sticky. Leaves alternating up the stems, compound, with 3 leaflets each 0.4-1.8 cm long, 4-10 mm wide, margins toothed towards the tips; stipules strongly toothed, hairy on lower surface. Flowers 1-3 mm long, pea shaped, with 5 petals, 2 joined together to form the keel, yellow. Flowers in 10–50-flowered clusters. Flowers mainly Oct.–Apr.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Medicago~lupulina (accessed 24 January, 2021)