Taxon:  Medicago arabica (L.) Huds.



Summary
Genus:
Medicago
Section:
Spirocarpos
Subsection:
Leptospireae
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Trifolieae
Nomen number:
23555
Place of publication:
Fl. angl. 288.  1762
Verified:
05/22/1987 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
121 (102  active, 97  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Medicago polymorpha L. var. arabica L.

Autonym(s)
Medicago arabica (L.) Huds. subsp. arabica

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Medicago arabica (L.) Huds. subsp. inermis Ricker
Medicago cordata Desr.
Medicago maculata Sibth.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
  3. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  4. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
  5. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  6. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  7. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  8. Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
  9. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  10. Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
  11. Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
  12. Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2.
  13. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  14. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  15. Heyn, C. C. 1963. The annual species of Medicago. Scripta Hierosolymitana 12:81.
  16. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  17. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  18. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  19. International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
  20. Isely, D. 1998. Native and naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii)
  21. Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
  22. Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
  23. Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
  24. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: lists as Medicago arabica All.
  25. Lesins, K. A. & I. Lesins. 1979. Genus Medicago (Leguminosae). A taxogenetic study 199.
  26. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  27. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  28. Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
  29. Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia.
  30. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  31. Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979-1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones.
  32. Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
  33. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  34. Sales, F. & I. C. Hedge. 1994. Medicago L. (Leguminosae): typification and nomenclature. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 51:321.
  35. Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
  36. Small, E. & M. Jomphe. 1989. A synopsis of the genus Medicago (Leguminosae). Canad. J. Bot. 67:3272.
  37. Small, E. et al. 1981. The taxonomic value of floral characters in tribe Trigonelleae (Leguminosae), with special reference to Medicago. Canad. J. Bot. 59:1580.
  38. Small, E. 1981. A numerical analysis of major groupings in Medicago employing traditionally used characters. Canad. J. Bot. 59:1555.
  39. Smythies, B. E. 1984-1986. Flora of Spain and the Balearic Islands: checklist of vascular plants. Englera 3:1-882.
  40. Täckholm, V. 1974. Students' flora of Egypt, ed. 2.
  41. Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
  42. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  43. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  44. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
  45. Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
  46. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishspotted bur-clover  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Englishspotted medic  1Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
Englishspotted medick  1Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Englishspotted-leaf medic  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Frenchluzerne d'Arabie  2Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
Frenchluzerne maculée  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Germanarabischer Schneckenklee  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italianmedica maculata  2International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Japanese Rōmajimontsuki-uma-goyashi  2Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Spanishtrébol de carretilla  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishtrébol manchado  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishfläcklusern  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinesehe ban mu xu  2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria n.Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt n.Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya n.Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: lists as Medicago arabica All.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusGeorgia  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: lists as Medicago arabica All.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian FederationDagestan Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: lists as Medicago arabica All.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian Federation-CiscaucasiaCiscaucasia Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: lists as Medicago arabica All.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaLebanon  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaSyria w.Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey w. & s.-c.Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine incl. KrymKomarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: lists as Medicago arabica All.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeBelgium  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeGermany  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeHungary  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeNetherlands  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeUnited Kingdom  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeBulgaria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece incl. CreteGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeRomania  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance incl. CorsicaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain incl. BalearesTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalAzoresFaialSilva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand  Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
4NaturalizedEuropeMiddle EuropeCzechoslovakia  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4NaturalizedEuropeMiddle EuropeSwitzerland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4NaturalizedEuropeNorthern EuropeSweden  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States s. & w.Isely, D. 1998. Native and naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii)
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil s.Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentina  Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaChile c.Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaParaguay  Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaUruguay  Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaBolivia  Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria (n.), Egypt (n.), Libya (n.), Morocco, Tunisia
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria (w.), Turkey (w. & s.-c.)
  • CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Ukraine (incl. Krym)
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal
Naturalized
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Portugal [Azores (Faial)]
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: Sweden
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Czechoslovakia, Switzerland
Northern America
  • REGION: United States (s. & w.)
Southern America
  • BRAZIL: Brazil (s.)
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Chile (c.), Paraguay, Uruguay

Reference(s)
  1. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  2. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  3. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  4. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  5. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  6. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  7. Isely, D. 1998. Native and naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii)
  8. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: lists as Medicago arabica All.
  9. Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
  10. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  11. Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodforagegrazingDuke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=23555. Accessed 12 May 2026.