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Species
Medicago polymorpha L.
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Medicago polymorpha L., burclover, is a shallow-rooted annual legume. The characteristic growth habit of burclover is one of numerous prostrate stems branching from the crown and spreading outward 6 to 30 inches. Where thick stands develop stems may become erect, obtaining heights of 18 to 24 inches in more favorable years. The leaves are subglabrous and clover-like in appearance, with leaflets normally wedge-shaped and toothed toward the top. The inflorescence is usually quite limited, presenting only a few small, yellow, pea-like flowers. The several-seeded fruit is a flattened, coiled pod, commonly up to 1/4 inch in width and fringed with a double row of conspicuous, hooked spines. Well developed plants may produce more than 1,000 pods. The seed is rather large for a legume of this type, usually developing to over 3/32 inch in length.
Although often considered an indigenous California plant, burclover was introduced from southern Europe. Burclover has become extensively naturalized in the United States from cultivation as a hay or cover crop. It is one of the more widely recognized Medicago species, especially west of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains, where it is most abundant.
Nile region, Oases, Mediterranean region, Egyptian desert and Sinai.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/3548 |
Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Medicago+polymorpha |
Mediterranean region, Asia; Introduced and naturalized in many Temperate regions.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Bibliotheca Alexandrina, BA Cultnat, Bibliotheca Alexandrina - EOL Ar |
Source | http://lifedesk.bibalex.org/ba/pages/3548 |
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).
Chile Central
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Pablo Gutierrez, IABIN |
Source | No source database. |
No cultivars are specifically recommended. Other species of burclover include Medicago rigidula (L.) All. and Medicago hispida Gaertn. Seeds are available at commercial seed stores in the west.
Chile Central
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Pablo Gutierrez, IABIN |
Source | No source database. |
Where burclover is adapted on rangeland, seeding is usually not necessary as the seed is already present. Production can be enhanced with cultivation, fertilization and proper grazing management. Existing stands in orchards and vineyards will continue to re-seed indefinitely under proper management. Wait for seed to mature before spring tillage. Don't apply herbicide to strips intended for cover crop. Use phosphorous and sulfur to encourage burclover in mixed grass-clover stands.
I, III, IV, V, RM, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, Juan Fernandez,Juan Fernandez
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Pablo Gutierrez, IABIN |
Source | No source database. |