''Medicago intertexta'', the hedgehog medick,
Calvary clover, or Calvary medick, is a flowering plant of the family ''Fabaceae''. It is found primarily in the western Mediterranean basin. It forms a
symbiotic
Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...
relationship with the bacterium ''
Sinorhizobium medicae
Ensifer medicae (also known as ''Sinorhizobium medicae'') is a species of gram-negative, nitrogen-fixing, rod-shaped bacteria. They can be free-living or symbionts of leguminous plants in root nodules. ''E.medicae'' was first isolated from roo ...
'', which is capable of
nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen () is converted into ammonia (). It occurs both biologically and abiological nitrogen fixation, abiologically in chemical industry, chemical industries. Biological nitrogen ...
.
A form with red-blotched leaves was formerly much grown as a garden plant.
Gallery
Image:Medicago intertexta seeds.JPG, seeds
References
External links
International Legume Database & Information Services
intertexta
Taxa named by Philip Miller
Flora of Malta
{{Trifolieae-stub