| Medicago lupulina L., it is a short-lived annual or perennial herb, more or less pubescent, branched from the base. Stems 5–60(–80) cm long, prostrate to decumbent, greatly expanded. Leaflets broadly obovate or obcuneate, notched and mucronate at the apex with the margin denticulate. Stipules from lanceolate to ovate, serrated or entire. Very floriferous racemes (10–50 flowers), short, compact, longer than the underlying leaf. Flowers very small (2.5–3.5 mm long), short pedicellate. Corolla 2–3 mm long, lemon yellow, wings shorter than keel. Pods 1.5–3 mm long, coiled, oval to reniform, dark ashy in color when ripe, always with one seed; veins prominent, ±curved, branched, arising obliquely from the ventral suture. Seeds 1.7-2 x 1-1.3 x 1-1.1 mm, oval to reniform, compressed, with the apex of the radicle protruding, matte, smooth, greenish yellow to greenish ocher or orange. Thread c. 0.15 mm long, from round to oval. Barely discernible lens almost attached to the thread. Life Form: Ch, Flowering in: May-Jun, Vern:—————–, Phytochoria: Cosm, The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Europe to Caucasus, N. & NE. Tropical Africa to Arabian Peninsula Indian Subcontinent to China. Notes: Wild in Libya.
For more information: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:506268-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/506268-1, http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000213454, https://www.gbif.org/species/2965201, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/65912/medicago-lupulina-l, https://www.atlasdesemillasdecanarias.org/atlas/ficha.php?ID=217, https://www.preservons-la-nature.fr/flore/taxon/722.html, https://www.florealpes.com/fiche_lupuline.php, https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/medicago/lupulina/, https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.33034, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicago_lupulina |
| Distribution in Libya | |
| Benghazi Plain | Al-Jabal Al-Akhder |
| Wadi El-Ghattara 2010 | Abu-daher, (24 km) from Baida 1972 |
| Bibliographic references: | |
| First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan: | |
| Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1980) Flora of Libya, Fabaceae Vol. (86) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. | |
| Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest: | pdf files |
| El-Rabiai, G.T., Al tira, F.M., Lamlom, S.H. (2010) Preliminary Checklist for the Flora of Wadi El Ghattara in Libya. Garyounis University Press Journal of Science and Its Applications Vol. 4, No. 1, pp 39-47, December 2010. http://sc.uob.edu.ly/assets/uploads/pagedownloads/5c3e5-39-47.pdf | Flora of Wadi El Ghattara 2010 |
