''Medicago'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s, commonly known as medick or burclover, in the

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

family (

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

). It contains at least 87 species and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean Basin, and extending across temperate Eurasia and sub-Saharan Africa. The best-known member of the genus is

alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, ...

(''M. sativa''), an important forage crop, and the genus name is based on the Latin name for that plant, , from

Median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...

(grass). Most members of the genus are low, creeping herbs, resembling

clover Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest diversit ...

, but with

bur A bur (also spelled burr) is a seed or dry fruit or infructescence that has hooks or teeth. The main function of the bur is to spread the seeds of the bur plant, often through epizoochory. The hooks of the bur are used to latch onto fur or f ...

s (hence the common name). However, alfalfa grows to a height of 1 meter, and

tree medick ''Medicago arborea'' is a flowering plant species in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. Common names include moon trefoil, shrub medick, alfalfa arborea, and tree medick. It is native to several Mediterranean Basin countries – Spain and the Bal ...

(''M. arborea'') is a

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

. Members of the genus are known to produce bioactive compounds such as

medicarpin Medicarpin is a pterocarpan, a derivative of isoflavonoids. Natural occurrences Medicarpin is found in ''Medicago truncatula'' and ''Swartzia madagascariensis''. It can also be found in ''Maackia amurensis'' cell cultures. The root nodule form ...

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

) and medicagenic acid (a

triterpenoid saponin Saponins (Latin ''sapon'', 'soap' + ''-in'', 'one of') are bitter-tasting, usually toxic plant-derived secondary metabolites. They are organic chemicals that become foamy when agitated in water and have high molecular weight. They are present i ...

Chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...

numbers in ''Medicago'' range from 2''n'' = 14 to 48. The species ''

Medicago truncatula ''Medicago truncatula'', the barrelclover, strong-spined medick, barrel medic, or barrel medick, is a small annual legume native to the Mediterranean region that is used in genomic research. It is a low-growing, clover-like plant tall with trif ...

'' is a model legume due to its relatively small stature, small genome (450–500 Mbp), short generation time (about 3 months), and ability to reproduce both by

outcrossing Out-crossing or out-breeding is the technique of crossing between different breeds. This is the practice of introducing distantly related genetic material into a breeding line, thereby increasing genetic diversity. Outcrossing in animals Out ...

and

selfing Autogamy or self-fertilization refers to the fusion of two gametes that come from one individual. Autogamy is predominantly observed in the form of self-pollination, a reproductive mechanism employed by many flowering plants. However, species of ...

. Comprehensive descriptions of the genus are Lesinš and Lesinš 1979 and Small and Jomphe 1989. Major collections are SARDI (Australia), USDA-GRIN (United States), ICARDA (

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

), and INRA (France).

Evolution

''Medicago'' diverged from ''

Glycine Glycine (symbol Gly or G; ) is an amino acid that has a single hydrogen atom as its side chain. It is the simplest stable amino acid. Glycine is one of the proteinogenic amino acids. It is encoded by all the codons starting with GG (G ...

'' (soybean) about 53–55 million years ago (in the early

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

), from '' Lotus'' (deervetch) 49–51 million years ago (also in the Eocene), and from ''

Trigonella ''Trigonella'' is a genus from the family Fabaceae. The best known member is the herb fenugreek. Members of the genus occur naturally in the Canary Islands, southern Europe, nontropical Africa, western and central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, a ...

'' 10–22 million years ago (in the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Ecological interactions with other organisms

Symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia

Béna ''et al.'' (2005) constructed a molecular phylogeny of 23 ''

Sinorhizobium ''Ensifer'' (often referred to in literature by its synonym ''Sinorhizobium'') is a genus of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia), three of which ('' Ensifer meliloti'', '' Ensifer medicae'' and '' Ensifer fredii'') have been sequenced. Etymology ...

'' strains and tested the symbiotic ability of six strains with 35 ''Medicago'' species. Comparison of these phylogenies indicates many transitions in the compatibility of the association over evolutionary time. Furthermore, they propose that the geographical distribution of strains limits the distribution of particular ''Medicago'' species.

Agricultural uses

Agronomic research has been conducted on species of the Medicago genus. Other than alfalfa, several of the prostrate members of the family (such as ''

Medicago lupulina ''Medicago lupulina'', commonly known as black medick, nonesuch, or hop clover, is a plant of dry grassland belonging to the legume or clover family. Plants of the genus ''Medicago'', or bur clovers, are closely related to the true clovers (''Tri ...

'' and ''

'') have been used as forage crops. Select species in the Medicago genus naturally develop spiney pods during the reproductive phase of growth (such as '' Medicago intertexta'' and '' Medicago polymorpha''). Despite having high levels of agronomic performance, these are typically viewed as undesirable in sheep based farming systems due to their ability to become lodged in wool, reducing fleece value. Breeding efforts in the 1990's have yielded spineless varieties of ''

burr medic ''Medicago polymorpha'' is a plant species of the genus ''Medicago''. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium ''Sinorhizobium medicae'', which is capable of n ...

'', providing valuable production amongst farming systems in low rainfall (<300mm annual), free draining, alkaline soils.

Insect herbivores

''Medicago'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including the

common swift The common swift (''Apus apus'') is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barn swallow or Common house martin, house martin but somewhat larger, though not stemming from those passerine species, being in the order Apodiformes. The re ...

flame A flame () is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasm ...

latticed heath The latticed heath (''Chiasmia clathrata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae, belonging to the subfamily Ennominae, placed in the tribe Macariini. The genus was erected by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Taxon ...

lime-speck pug The lime-speck pug (''Eupithecia centaureata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species throughout the Palearctic region (where it is found in Europe, Central Asia, Mongolia, southern Siberia, eastern China (Guangdong) and Ta ...

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...

setaceous Hebrew character The setaceous Hebrew character (''Xestia c-nigrum'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in the Palearctic realm. It is a common specie ...

, and

turnip The turnip or white turnip ('' Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties a ...

moths and case-bearers of the genus ''

Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors have t ...

'', including ''C. frischella'' (recorded on ''M. sativa'') and ''C. fuscociliella'' (feeds exclusively on ''Medicago'' spp.).

Species

This list is compiled from:

Section Buceras

Subsection Deflexae

* '' Medicago retrorsa'' (Boiss.) E. Small

Subsection Erectae

* '' Medicago arenicola'' (Huber-Mor.) E. Small * '' Medicago astroites'' (Fisch. & Mey.) Trautv. * '' Medicago carica'' (Huber-Mor.) E. Small * '' Medicago crassipes'' (Boiss.) E. Small * '' Medicago fischeriana'' (Ser.) Trautv. * '' Medicago halophila'' (Boiss.) E. Small * '' Medicago heldreichii'' (Boiss.) E. Small * '' Medicago medicaginoides'' (Retz.) E. Small * '' Medicago monantha'' (C. A. Meyer) Trautv. * '' Medicago orthoceras'' (Kar. & Kir.) Trautv. * '' Medicago pamphylica'' (Huber-Mor. & Sirjaev) E. Small * '' Medicago persica'' (Boiss.) E. Small * '' Medicago phrygia'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small * '' Medicago polyceratia'' (L.) Trautv. * '' Medicago rigida'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small

Subsection Isthmocarpae

* '' Medicago rhytidiocarpa'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small * '' Medicago isthmocarpa'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small

Subsection Reflexae

* '' Medicago monspeliaca'' (L.) Trautv.

Section Carstiensae

* '' Medicago carstiensis'' Wulf.

Section Dendrotelis

* '' Medicago arborea'' L. * '' Medicago citrina'' (Font Quer) Greuter * '' Medicago strasseri'' Greuter, Matthas & Risse

Section Geocarpa

* '' Medicago hypogaea'' E. Small

Section Heynianae

* '' Medicago heyniana'' Greuter

Section Hymenocarpos

* '' Medicago radiata'' L.

Section Lunatae

* '' Medicago biflora'' (Griseb.) E. Small * '' Medicago brachycarpa'' M. Bieb. * '' Medicago huberi'' E. Small * '' Medicago rostrata'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small

Section Lupularia

* ''

'' L. * '' Medicago secundiflora'' Durieu

Section Medicago

* '' Medicago cancellata'' M. Bieb. * '' Medicago daghestanica'' Rupr. * '' Medicago hybrida'' (Pourr.) Trautv. * '' Medicago marina'' L. * '' Medicago papillosa'' Boiss. ** ''M. p. macrocarpa'' ** ''M. p. papillosa'' * '' Medicago pironae'' Vis. * '' Medicago prostrata'' Jacq. ** ''M. p. prostrata'' ** ''M. p. pseudorupestris'' * '' Medicago rhodopea'' Velen. * '' Medicago rupestris'' M. Bieb * ''

Medicago sativa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as we ...

'' L. (alfalfa) ** ''M. s. caerulea'' ** ''M. s. falcata ''('' Medicago falcata'') *** ''M. s. f.'' var. ''falcata'' *** ''M. s. f. ''var. ''viscosa'' ** ''M. s. glomerata'' ** ''M. s. sativa'' * '' Medicago saxatilis'' M. Bieb * '' Medicago suffruticosa'' Ramond ex DC. **''M. s. leiocarpa'' **''M. s. suffruticosa''

Section Orbiculares

* '' Medicago orbicularis'' (L.) Bart.

Section Platycarpae

* '' Medicago archiducis-nicolai'' Sirjaev * '' Medicago cretacea'' M. Bieb. * '' Medicago edgeworthii'' Sirjaev * '' Medicago ovalis'' (Boiss.) Sirjaev * '' Medicago playtcarpa'' (L.) Trautv. * '' Medicago plicata'' (Boiss.) Sirjaev * '' Medicago popovii'' (E. Kor.) Sirjaev * '' Medicago ruthenica'' (L.) Ledebour

Subsection Rotatae

* '' Medicago blancheana'' Boiss. * '' Medicago noeana'' Boiss. * '' Medicago rugosa'' Desr. * '' Medicago rotata'' Boiss. * '' Medicago scutellata'' (L.) Miller * '' Medicago shepardii'' Post

Section Spirocarpos

Subsection Intertextae

* '' Medicago ciliaris'' (L.) Krocker * ''

Medicago granadensis ''Medicago'' is a genus of flowering plants, commonly known as medick or burclover, in the legume family (Fabaceae). It contains at least 87 species and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean Basin, and extending across temperate Eurasia ...

'' Willd. * '' Medicago intertexta'' (L.) Miller * '' Medicago muricoleptis'' Tin.

Subsection Leptospireae

* '' Medicago arabica'' (L.) Huds. * '' Medicago coronata'' (L.) Bart. * '' Medicago disciformis'' DC. * '' Medicago laciniata'' (L.) Miller * '' Medicago lanigera'' Winkl. & Fedtsch. * '' Medicago laxispira'' Heyn * '' Medicago minima'' (L.) Bart. * '' Medicago polymorpha'' L. * '' Medicago praecox'' DC. * '' Medicago sauvagei'' Nègre * '' Medicago tenoreana'' Ser.

Subsection Pachyspireae

* '' Medicago constricta'' Durieu * '' Medicago doliata'' Carmign. * '' Medicago italica'' (Miller) Fiori * '' Medicago lesinsii'' E. Small * ''

Medicago littoralis ''Medicago littoralis'' is an annual plant species of the genus ''Medicago''. Its native range encompasses the Mediterranean Basin, from Macaronesia to the Caucasus; it has been introduced elsewhere. It is useful as a forage for livestock. As a ...

'' Rohde ex Lois. * '' Medicago murex'' Willd. * '' Medicago rigidula'' (L.) All. * '' Medicago rigiduloides'' E. Small * ''Medicago sinskiae'' Uljanova * '' Medicago soleirolii'' Duby * '' Medicago sphaerocarpos'' Bertol. * '' Medicago syriaca'' E. Small * ''

'' Gaertn. * '' Medicago turbinata'' (L.) All.

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: * ''Medicago agropyretorum'' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago alatavica'' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago caucasica'' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago cyrenaea'' Maire & Weiller * ''Medicago difalcata'' Sinskaya * ''Medicago grossheimii'' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago gunibica'' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago hemicoerulea'' Sinskaya * ''Medicago karatschaica'' (A. Heller) A. Heller * ''Medicago komarovii'' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago meyeri'' Gruner * ''Medicago polychroa'' Grossh. * ''Medicago schischkinii'' Sumnev. * ''Medicago talyschensis'' Latsch. * ''Medicago transoxana'' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago tunetana'' (Murb.) A.W. Hill * ''Medicago vardanis' Vassilcz. * ''Medicago virescens'' Grossh. Recent molecular phylogenic analyses of ''Medicago'' indicate that the sections and subsections defined by Small & Jomphe, as outlined above, are generally

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...

. However, with minor revisions sections and subsections could be rendered

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

Notes

References

{{Authority control Plant models Fabaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus