ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Medicago lupulina
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    ROSALES
 FAMILY:   FABACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Medicago lupulina
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    BLACK MEDIC
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: MELU
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         CROPLAND
         PASTURELAND
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOND            BOONE           BROWN
   BUREAU          CALHOUN         CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN
   CHRISTIAN       CLARK           CLAY            CLINTON         COLES
   COOK            CRAWFORD        CUMBERLAND      DEKALB          DEWITT
   DOUGLAS         DUPAGE          EDGAR           EDWARDS         EFFINGHAM
   FAYETTE         FORD            FRANKLIN        FULTON          GALLATIN
   GREENE          GRUNDY          HAMILTON        HANCOCK         HARDIN
   HENDERSON       HENRY           IROQUOIS        JACKSON         JASPER
   JEFFERSON       JERSEY          JO DAVIESS      JOHNSON         KANE
   KANKAKEE        KENDALL         KNOX            LAKE            LASALLE
   LAWRENCE        LEE             LIVINGSTON      LOGAN           MCDONOUGH
   MCHENRY         MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN        MADISON
   MARION          MARSHALL        MASON           MASSAC          MENARD
   MERCER          MONROE          MONTGOMERY      MORGAN          MOULTRIE
   OGLE            PEORIA          PERRY           PIATT           PIKE
   POPE            PULASKI         PUTNAM          RANDOLPH        RICHLAND
   ROCK ISLAND     ST. CLAIR       SALINE          SANGAMON        SCHUYLER
   SCOTT           SHELBY          STARK           STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL
   UNION           VERMILION       WABASH          WARREN          WASHINGTON
   WAYNE           WHITE           WHITESIDE       WILL            WILLIAMSON
   WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMY COMMENTS:
     This is including var. glandulosa Neilr.
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Primary
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:    Compound  (trifoliate)
    LEAF MARGIN:   Serrate
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:       Obovate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Raceme
    FLOWER MEROUS:  5
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Irregular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Yellow
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Perigynous
    FRUIT:   Legume
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Pod is pubescent, not coiled.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Introduced-  Europe
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Annual
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      5         MONTH END-      7
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Specis is distributed as a lawn weed; in meadows.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MYCORRHIZAE:   endomycorrhizal
     NITROGEN FIXING   Yes
 
 FUNCTIONAL DATA COMMENTS:
     Species is reported to form nodules.
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     EDIBLE:  Yes
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  NO     LANDSCAPING:  NO
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:  No data entered
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:
     CATTLE FORAGE: No data    SHEEP FORAGE:  No data    HORSE FORAGE:  No data
     GOAT FORAGE:   No data    ENERGY VALUE:  Medium     PROTEIN VALUE: Medium
     POISONOUS (LIVESTOCK):  No data entered
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Economic
 
 
 GENERAL COMMENTS:
     Species is grown for forage; will inoculate soil for alfalfa.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Jones, G. N.  1963.  Flora of Illinois.  Third ed.  American Midland Naturalist
     Monograph 7.  University of Notre Dame, Indiana.  401 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist.  1963.  Manual of vascular plants of north-
     eastern United States and adjacent Canada.  Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.,
     New York.  810 pp.
Fernald, M. L.  1950.  Gray's manual of botany.  8th ed.  American Book Co.,
     New York.  1632 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Agricultural Experiment Station.  1981.  Weeds of the North Central States.
     Bulletin 772.  College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-
     Champaign, Urbana.  303 pp.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Medicago lupulina
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015