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Medicago polymorpha L.
Burr Clover
Burclover
Not native to Florida
An occasional wildflower of disturbed sites in much of the panhandle and north and central peninsula, plus Miami-Dade County. Also found throughout North America, although absent from most midwest and central-north great plains states. Native to Europe and the Mediterranean region.
This introduced species grows from a taproot and has mostly decumbent to slightly ascending stems that can be up to 5dm (20 in.) long. The alternate leaves are trifoliate and petiolate with deeply toothed stipules. Leaflets are obovate to obcordate and finely toothed. The tiny yellow pea-shaped flowers appear in axilary racemes. The fruit is a coiled legume with hook-tipped bristles that forms a sphere resembling a burr.
This non-native species was planted as a cover crop in vineyards and orchards and as a forage crop for cattle.
Medicago polymorpha is a member of the Fabaceae - Pea family.
Other species of the Medicago genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Medicago lupulina - BLACK MEDICK
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Apr 16, 2023
