Black Medic, Hop clover, Yellow trefoil
Medicago lupulina
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
An annual or short lived perennial herb. The stems are downy and often lie along the ground or curve up at the ends. The leaves are made up of 3 leaflets on a short stalk. They are 3-20 mm long by 2.5-12 mm wide. They are wedge shaped at the base. The leaves are hairy underneath. The flowers are yellow and pea like. The fruit is a curved, kidney shaped pod. It is 3 mm wide. It is black when ripe. There is one seed.
There are about 55 Medicago species.
Where it is found
A temperate plant. It grows in damp areas on calcareous soils. It grows in grasslands and along the edges of roads throughout Europe. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 500 m above sea level. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 3,200-3,900 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium. In Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Argentina, Australia, Balkans, Bolivia, Brazil, Britain, Central Asia, Chile, China, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Easter Island, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe (country/location of origin), France, Greece, Haiti, Himalayas, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mongolia, Norfolk Island, North America, NW India, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Somalia, South America, Spain, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA, West Indies
How it is used for food
The young leaves are used as a vegetable. They are eaten raw or boiled. The seeds can be parched and eaten or ground into flour.
Leaves are only occasionally eaten.
Edible parts
Sprouts, seeds, leaves
How it is grown
Plants are grown by seed.
Its other names
Local names
Ardkhkhd booti, Ban methi, Ghipari, Gualputra, Hmeljna meteljka, Hualputra, Lupulina, Mocuo, Mosu, Nonesuch, Rodajilla, Tiring, Trebolillo,Walputra