Medicago blancheana
Medicago blancheana
Tarla yoncası
Annual, 15-30 cm, with simple and glandular hairs. Leaflets 10-15 x 5-8 mm, generally obovate, rarely ovate or oblanceolate, truncate to apiculate, with a small terminal tooth, very rarely some or all leaflets laciniate; stipules dentate, with 4-7 teeth, the uppermost tooth longer than the others. Peduncle slender, 1-3-flowered, curved downwards, about twice as long as petiole. Flowers 6-8 mm. Calyx teeth as long as tube. Corolla less than 2 x calyx. Young fruit contracted inside the calyx. Fruit cylindrical, flat-convex on both surfaces, 9-12 mm high, spiny or spineless, with glandular hairs ; coils 4-5, pergamentaceous, the 2-3 middle coils 8-12 mm diam.; all other coils convex and decreasing in size towards the first and last; surface of coil with a dense net of veins, bearing slight protrusions to triangular flattened spines of 1 mm, those of concave surface of each coil less developed; angle of insertion of spines usually 30-70°. Fl. 3-5. On heavy soils, mainly cultivated and fallow fields, nr. s.l.
1. Pod spiny var. blancheana
1. Pod spineless var. bonarotiana
Distribution of species: W. Syria, Syrian Desert, Cyprus. E. Medit. element.
