Small Medics - all introduced (*Medicago species)

Other names: Trefoils.

Family: Fabaceae (Pea family).

Natives of Europe, Asia and Africa.

Medics resemble clovers. Both have leaves divided into three leaflets, and both have small, clustered pea flowers. Medics differ from clovers in that the seed pods are (usually) coiled, and often spiny (the burr medics), and the central leaflet is stalked. Clovers have small inconspicuous pods, and usually all of the leaflet stalks are the same length. Suckling Clover is an exception - it has a longer stalk on the central leaflet. Medics are important pasture plants.

Burr Medic (*Medicago polymorpha)

Occurrence: Widespread in lawns, roadsides and paddocks. It is probably the most common medic.

Identification:

• it is usually prostrate
• the seed pod is coiled and (usually) densely spiny
• the flower stalks are shorter than the leaves.

Photos: Burr Medic. 1: Spinelss seed pod. Nuggetty. 3-5. Castlemaine.

Spotted Medic (*Medicago arabica)

Occurrence: Widespread.

Identification:

• it is usually prostrate
• the leaves have a central reddish-brown mark
• the flower stalks are shorter than the leaves
• it has 1 to 5 flowers per cluster.

Black Medic (*Medicago lupulina)

Occurrence: Not often recorded.

Identification:

• the main leaf stalks are short
• the flower stalks are much longer than the leaves
• the pod is kidney-shaped, not coiled.