Taxon:  Medicago truncatula Gaertn.



Summary
Genus:
Medicago
Section:
Spirocarpos
Subsection:
Pachyspireae
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Trifolieae
Nomen number:
23705
Place of publication:
Fruct. sem. pl. 2:350, t. 155, fig. 7.  1791
Verified:
06/11/1987 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
467 (407  active, 396  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
  3. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  5. Badri, M. et al. 2007. Quantitative and molecular genetic variation in sympatric populations of Medicago laciniata and M. truncatula (Fabaceae):relationships with eco-geographical factors. Genet. Res. 89:107-122.
  6. Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
  7. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  8. Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2.
  9. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  10. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  11. Hacker, J. B. 1990. A guide to herbaceous and shrub legumes of Queensland University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Australia.
  12. Heyn, C. C. 1963. The annual species of Medicago. Scripta Hierosolymitana 12:95.
  13. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  14. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  15. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  16. International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
  17. Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
  18. Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa
  19. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR. Note: = Medicago tribuloides Desr.
  20. Lesins, K. A. & I. Lesins. 1979. Genus Medicago (Leguminosae). A taxogenetic study 166.
  21. Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
  22. National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
  23. Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia.
  24. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  25. Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979-1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones.
  26. Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
  27. Quiros, C. F. & G. R. Bauchan. 1988. The genus Medicago and the origin of the Medicago sativa complex. In A. A. Hanson et al., eds., Alfalfa and alfalfa improvement. Agronomy 29:93-124.
  28. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  29. Sales, F. & I. C. Hedge. 1994. Medicago L. (Leguminosae): typification and nomenclature. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 51:323.
  30. Small, E. & M. Jomphe. 1989. A synopsis of the genus Medicago (Leguminosae). Canad. J. Bot. 32:3270.
  31. Small, E. et al. 1981. The taxonomic value of floral characters in tribe Trigonelleae (Leguminosae), with special reference to Medicago. Canad. J. Bot. 59:1581.
  32. Small, E. et al. 1991. Medicago truncatula f. laxicycla (Leguminosae), a new taxon with loose fruit coiling promoting rapid germination of the fruit-retained seeds. Pl. Syst. Evol. 174:37-46.
  33. Small, E. 1981. A numerical analysis of major groupings in Medicago employing traditionally used characters. Canad. J. Bot. 59:1555.
  34. Small, E. 2011. Alfalfa and relatives: evolution and classification of Medicago. Alfalfa and relatives: evolution and classification of Medicago 638-664. Note: this review cites Medicago truncatula as a model legume species for the study of genome evolution; as a crop for forage, it is the most important annual species
  35. Smythies, B. E. 1984-1986. Flora of Spain and the Balearic Islands: checklist of vascular plants. Englera 3:1-882.
  36. Täckholm, V. 1974. Students' flora of Egypt, ed. 2.
  37. Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
  38. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  39. University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. UC SAREP on-line cover crop database (on-line resource).
  40. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
  41. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
  42. 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.
  43. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Note: forage crop
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishbarrel medic  1Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
Englishbarrel-clover  1Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Englishcaltrop medic  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Englishcylindrical bur medic  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Englishstrong-spine medick  1Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Frenchluzerne tronquée  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italianmedica troncata  2International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Spanishtrébol barril  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishtornlusern  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalMadeira Islands Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  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-TemperateCaucasusArmenia  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusGeorgia  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaTurkmenistan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaJordan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaLebanon  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaSyria  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey w. & s.Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine incl. KrymYakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece incl. CreteGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
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.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentina c.Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaUruguay s. & w.Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Madeira Islands]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey (w. & s.)
  • CAUCASUS: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
  • MIDDLE ASIA: Turkmenistan
Europe
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Ukraine (incl. Krym)
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily)
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
Southern America
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina (c.), Uruguay (s. & w.)

Reference(s)
  1. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  2. Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2.
  3. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  4. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  5. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  6. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  7. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodforage Hacker, J. B. 1990. A guide to herbaceous and shrub legumes of Queensland University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Australia.
Environmentalsoil improver National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Environmentalsoil improver University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. UC SAREP on-line cover crop database (on-line resource).
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa
Weedseed contaminantpotentialSmall, E. & M. Jomphe. 1989. A synopsis of the genus Medicago (Leguminosae). Canad. J. Bot. 32:3270.
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=23705. Accessed 12 May 2026.