Medicago littoralis

Medicago littoralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Medicago
Species:	M. littoralis
Binomial name
	Medicago littoralis; Lois
Synonyms
	Medicago arenaria Ten.; Medicago cylindracea DC.; Medicago littoralis subsp. cylindracea (DC.) Nyman; Medicago littoralis subsp. tricycla (DC.) J. M. Lainz; Medicago striata sensu auct.ital.; Medicago subinermis Bertol.; Medicago tricycla DC.; Medicago truncatula subsp. littoralis (Lois.) Ponert;

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 leguminous plant, it is capable of adding nitrogen to soils, through its symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which enables nitrogen fixation. Common names include shore medick,^[1] water medick,^[2] coastal medick, and strand medick.^[3]

Description

Medicago littoralis is a prostrate or procumbent herb, occasionally with an ascending habit.^[3]^[4]

Distribution and habitat

The species has been introduced to Belgium, the US states of Florida and New Jersey, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and to parts of Australia.^[3] It is naturalised in South Australia and considered "alien" but non-invasive in Western Australia.^[5]^[6]

Agricultural uses

'Seraph', is a specially bred variety of M. littoralis, selected for its resistance to powdery mildew and tolerance of sulfonylurea herbicide residues.^[7]

Gallery

seed pods

References

^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Medicago littoralis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Medicago littoralis Rohde ex Loisel". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
^ Howie, Jake; Lloyd, David (2009), Factsheet – Strand medic, Pastures Australia, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Dairy Australia – via Lucid Keys Central Archived 16 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Medicago littoralis – Species Details". Atlas of Florida Plants.
^
- "Fact sheet for Medicago littoralis". The Electronic Flora of South Australia. The State Herbarium of South Australia: Government of South Australia.
- "Medicago littoralis Loisel. Strand Medic". Florabase—the Western Australian Flora. Western Australian Herbarium, Biodiversity and Conservation Science; Government of Western Australia.
^ Peck, David; South Australian Research and Development Institute (28 June 2021). "Strand Medic (Medicago littoralis) Variety: 'Seraph'". Plant Varieties Journal. 34 (1): 297–299. ISSN 1030-9748. (PDF direct download – 5 MB)

External links

International Legume Database & Information Services
"Environmental weed risk assessment" Department of Primary Industries, Government of Western Australia
"Strand medic" Pasture species and varieties. Department of Primary Industries, Government of New South Wales

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[BSBI07-1] BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.

[2] USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Medicago littoralis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 28 January 2016.

[powo-3] "Medicago littoralis Rohde ex Loisel". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Retrieved 2 January 2024.

[pastures-4] Howie, Jake; Lloyd, David (2009), Factsheet – Strand medic, Pastures Australia, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Dairy Australia – via Lucid Keys Central Archived 16 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine

[5] "Medicago littoralis – Species Details". Atlas of Florida Plants.

[6] 
"Fact sheet for Medicago littoralis". The Electronic Flora of South Australia. The State Herbarium of South Australia: Government of South Australia.
"Medicago littoralis Loisel. Strand Medic". Florabase—the Western Australian Flora. Western Australian Herbarium, Biodiversity and Conservation Science; Government of Western Australia.

[7] "Fact sheet for Medicago littoralis". The Electronic Flora of South Australia. The State Herbarium of South Australia: Government of South Australia.

[8] "Medicago littoralis Loisel. Strand Medic". Florabase—the Western Australian Flora. Western Australian Herbarium, Biodiversity and Conservation Science; Government of Western Australia.

[7] Peck, David; South Australian Research and Development Institute (28 June 2021). "Strand Medic (Medicago littoralis) Variety: 'Seraph'". Plant Varieties Journal. 34 (1): 297–299. ISSN 1030-9748. (PDF direct download – 5 MB)

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