Medicago arborea
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Medicago arborea is a flowering plant species in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. Common names include moon trefoil, shrub medick, alfalfa arborea, and tree medick. It is native to several Mediterranean Basin countries – Spain and the Balearic Islands, Italy including and Sardinia and Sicily, Greece including Crete and the East Aegean Islands, and Turkey.[1] It primarily grows on rocky shores among shrubby vegetation. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. It is the only member of the genus Medicago which is used as an ornamental. M. arborea is sometimes misidentified as Cytisus, which it resembles.[2]
Description
The shrub is Script error: No such module "convert". high and wide and is pale yellow in colour. Its stems are erect and terete while its stipules are triangular and are Script error: No such module "convert". in height. Its petioles are Script error: No such module "convert". long with obovate to obcordate leaflets. Flowers are scattered 6-10 racemes and are Script error: No such module "convert". long with axillar peduncles which are Script error: No such module "convert".. The corolla is of orange colour and is Script error: No such module "convert".. Bracts are Script error: No such module "convert". long while its pedicels are Script error: No such module "convert". long. Its legume is coiled in 0.5 to 1.5 spirals which are Script error: No such module "convert". wide and are pubescent at the center. The seeds are Script error: No such module "convert". long.[3]
Subspecies
Three subspecies are accepted.[1]
- Medicago arborea subsp. arborea (synonyms Cytisus neapolitanus Cohen-StuartScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and Medicago arborescens C.PreslScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".) – Spain, Balearic Islands, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Greece, Crete, East Aegean Islands, and Turkey
- Medicago arborea subsp. citrina (Font Quer) O.Bolòs & VigoScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (synonyms M. arborea var. citrina Font QuerScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and Medicago citrina (Font Quer) GreuterScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – eastern Spain and Balearic Islands
- Medicago arborea subsp. strasseri (Greuter, Matthäs & Risse) Sobr.-Vesp. & CeresuelaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (synonym Medicago strasseri Greuter, Matthäs & RisseScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".) – Crete
References
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External links
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- Medicago
- Flora of the Balearic Islands
- Flora of Crete
- Flora of the East Aegean Islands
- Flora of Greece
- Flora of Italy
- Flora of Malta
- Flora of Sardinia
- Flora of Sicily
- Flora of Spain
- Flora of Turkey
- Matorral shrubland
- Plants described in 1753
- Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus