Medicago polymorpha — toothed medick

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Calyx symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  • NA
  • the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  no

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary and a hypanthium

  Flower number

  1–8

  Flower petal color

  yellow

  Flower reproductive parts

  the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

  Flower symmetry

  there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched

  Fused stamen clusters

  there are two clusters of fused stamens

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower has a hypanthium

  Inflorescence length

  3–100 mm

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Length of flower stalk

  Up to 1 mm

  Length of peduncle

  3–15 mm

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of carpels

  1

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  • there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
  • there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  • 1
  • At least 1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures

  Petal and sepal colors

  yellow

  Petal appearance

  the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal folding in bud

  the petals in bud are arranged in a cycle with edges overlapping like roof shingles (imbricate)

  Petal folds or pleats

  • the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
  • the petals of the flower have folds or plaits on them

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal length

  3–8 mm

  Petal number

  5

  Petal shape

  the petal outline is obovate (roughly egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)

  Petal tip shape

  the petal tip is retuse (with a blunt or rounded apex and a notch at the center)

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  no

  Sepal and petal color

  the sepals are different from the petals

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal number

  5

  Stamen attachment

  the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals

  Stamen morphology

  the stamens within each cycle are the same

  Stamen number

  10

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Stigma position

  • the stigmas are in another position
  • the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style

  Style petal-like

  the styles are not petal-like

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  • NA
  • the capsule splits by two main valves, teeth or pores

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit beak length

  0 mm

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length

  1–10 mm

  Fruit locules

  one

  Fruit shape

  NA

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a legume (a fruit that splits into two valves, but only has a single carpel; think of a pea pod)

  Fruit width

  4–10 mm

  Hair type on fruit

  the hairs on the fruits are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly

  Hairs on fruit

  • the fruits are not hairy
  • the fruits have hairs on them

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  • the legume has prickles on it
  • the legume is coiled in a spiral before it splits or falls

  Mericarp length

  0 mm

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Placenta arrangement

  the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Seed relative length

  the seed is longer than it is wide

  Seed surface

  the seed is smooth or without clear markings

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  the fruit does not have wings on it

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits are armed with thorns-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

  Lifespan

  • the plant lives for two years
  • the plant lives only a single year or less

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  no

  Spines on plant

  • the plant has no spines
  • there are spines on the plant

• Leaves

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)

  8–20 mm

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  1–2.5

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  5–15 mm

  Floral bracts

  the flower has one or more bracts associated with it

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  • the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hairs on upper side of leaf

  the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow

  Leaf blade base symmetry

  the leaf blade base is symmetrical

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf blade texture

  the leaf blade is scarious (thin and dry like paper) or membranaceous (thin and flexible and almost translucent like a membrane)

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk

  the leaves have leaf stalks

  Leaf stalk length

  10–50 mm

  Leaf tip

  • the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is retuse (blunt or rounded, with a notch at the tip)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)

  Leaf type

  the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets

  Leaflet number

  1–3

  Leaflet petiolules

  the leaflets of the compound leaf have petiolules

  Leaves per node

  there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  the pinnately compound leaves have a terminal leaflet (and usually have an odd number of leaflets per axis)

  Specific leaf type

  • the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
  • the leaf has lobes that radiate from the base, somewhat like a hand

  Stipels

  there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules

  Stipule edges

  the stipule margins have teeth on them

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipule fused to leaf stalk

  the stipules are fused to the petioles for some or most of their length

  Stipule length

  4–7 mm

  Stipule shape

  • the stipules are oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
  • the stipules are ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Stipules

  the plant has stipules

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  Specific habitat

  man-made or disturbed habitats

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of a smell

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Flowering stem cross-section

  the flowering stem has strong or sharp angles, but is not square

  Hair between stem nodes

  • the stem has hairs between the nodes
  • the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Plant height

  5–50 cm

  Stem orientation

  • the stems are upright or angled outwards
  • the stems trail at the base, but may turn upwards at the tips

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

In New England

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key