Relatives

Medicago sinskiae Uljanova - Sinskaya.s Medick.

Taxonomic position.

Family Fabaceae Lindl., genus Medicago L.

Morphology and biology.

Annual plant with tap root system shallow-digging (35-40 cm) into soil. Stems erect or prostrate, 15-25(30) cm tall. All vegetative part of the plant rather densely pubescent with simple hairs. Stipules (2)3-4(5) mm long, adnate to leaf petiole in lower part, of various shape; lower ones triangular-lanceolate in outline, crenately divided at margin, upper ones lanceolate, entire or with 1-2(3) rather short lobes in lower part. Leaflets orbicular-oval, broadly triangular-cuneate, obovate-cuneate, (3)5-8(10) mm long and (2) 3-4 (5) mm with, pinnately veined, each vein ending in a denticle to make the leaf blade dentate at margin. Leaf petiole channelled, (4)5-8(20) mm long. Flower racemes on long stalks, 10-12(15) mm long, few-flowered: 1-2(4). Bracteoles small, linear, white-scarious. Pedicels short, 1-1.5 mm long. Calyx broadly turbinate-campanulate or campanulate, sepals equal in length, with oblong-subulate lobes slightly longer than or equal to tube. Corollas yellow or orange-yellow, 4-5 mm long, standard obovate, longer than keel and wings. Young pod hidden inside calyx and intensely pubescent with white scabrous simple hairs. Pod disc-shaped or shortly cylindric in outline, almost flat at both sides, 1-2 pods on each fruit-stalk. Fruit-stalk 2-3 times as long as floral leaf. Pod with 3-4(5) twists, lax and twisted counterclockwise, 5-6(8) mm diameter, finely canaliculate at margins; young with sparse simple hairs and abundant, but very short sessile glandular hairs. Mature pods subglabrous and farinose (remains of glandular hairs). Twist margins with double row of tubercles or subglabrous. The twist surface has 12-14 S-shaped veins. Flowers first ten days of April, fruits in late April - early May, mature fruits in May - June. 2n=?

Distribution.

Endemic to the mountain part of Western Kopet-Dagh (Turkmenistan). Unknown beyond the area indicated.

Ecology.

Occurs on stony-debris and detrite dry slopes of Western Kopet-Dagh mountains.

Economic value.

This medick is valuable because, unlike other annual species, its pods are lacking prickles and tubercles harmful to animals in most cases, and relatively poorly pubescent, the fact making it among the best forage legume plants.

References:

Khasanov OKh. 1972. Wild medicks of Central Asia. Tashkent: FAN. 169 p. (In Russian).

© N.I.Dzyubenko, E.A.Dzyubenko

© Photo by E.A.Dzyubenko