Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Click images to enlarge and show more photo credit.

Key to Medicago

Fabaceae

Medicago

Copy permalink to share

1 Legume 1-seeded, reniform, black at maturity; corolla 2-3 mm long
1 Legume several-seeded, spirally coiled or falcate, tan to dark brown; corolla 3-11 mm long.
  2 Plants perennial, mostly erect or ascending, 2-8 (-10) dm tall; corolla 6-11 mm long, violet, yellow, or varicolored; legumes spineless.
    3 Corollas purple or violet (rarely white); legumes with (1.5-) 2-6 coils
    3 Corollas yellow, or variegated yellow and violet; legumes merely falcate or with < 1.5 coils.
      4 Corollas variegated yellw/violet (sometimes green, yellow, or violet); legumes with 0.8-1.4 coils
  2 Plants annual, mostly prostrate or ascending, 1-6 dm tall; corolla 3-6 mm long, yellow; legumes spiny (except lacking spines in M. orbicularis).
        5 Stipules entire or slightly dentate (M. minima) or the base only of the stipule lacerate (M. laciniata); plants pilose (M. minima) or glabrous (M. laciniata).
                 9 Leaflets 0.7-1.1× as long as wide, usually marked with a central dark spot; leaflet tip usually strongly notched; stipules shallowly lacerate, the sinuses extending < ½ way to the base
                 9 Leaflets 1-2× as long as wide, not marked with a central dark spot; leaflet tip not strongly notched; stipules deeply lacerate, the sinuses extending > ½ way to the base