Family: Fabaceae |
M. Thulin (1993) Medicago (inc. Trigonella) 1: 463-465 Plants annual or perennial hers or small shrubs. Leaves pinnately compound, with 3 leaflets; leaflets usually toothed; stipules usually adnate to the petioles, usually toothed or laciniate. Inflorescences axillary, short to long pedunculate racemes or of solitary flowers. Calyces 5-lobed; corollas quickly falling; stamens 10, the top stamen free. Pods straight to curved or spirally coiled, indehsicent; seeds 1-several. Medicago, when expanded to include Trigonella as recommended by Bena (2001), includes about 120 species, most of which are native to the Mediterranean region. One species, Medicago sativa, is widely cultivated for forage. There are 5 species in Somaliland and Somalia. Key to the species of Medicago in Somaliland and Somalia. S.I. Ali (1977) 100: 1-389 Plants annual or perennial herbs. Leaves with adnate stipules:l blades pinnately trifoliate; leaflets toothed. Inflorescences pedunculate, axially racemes. Flowers pedicellate and bracteate; calyces 5-toothed; corollas usually yellow, less frequently purple, pale violet, or mauve; keels shorter than the wings; stamens diadelphous, 9 united plus 1 free; anthers all alike. Fruits usually spirally coiled, rarely falcate, sometimes with tubercles or spines along their margins, usually indehiscent; seeds 1 to many. Medicago is a genus of about 50 species. They are most numerous around the Mediterranean. There are ony 7 species known from Pakistan. Ali's cooment was published in 1977. GBIF shows several additional species as being present in Pakistan. They may be transfers from Trigonella. Trigonella is sometimes included in Medicago. Bena (2001) states that molecular data support such a treatment. Reference Bena, G. (2001) Molecular phylogeny supports the morphologically based taxonomic transfer of the Trigonella species to the genus Medicago L. Plant Syst. Evol. 229: 217–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s006060170012 Bena, G. (2001) Molecular phylogeny supports the morphologically based taxonomic transfer of the Trigonella species to the genus Medicago L. Plant Syst. Evol. 229: 217–236.
Global distribution of Medicago (including Trigonella) Note: GBIF records include introduced and cultivated plants. Consequently, the distribution shown often differs from statements about a taxon's native distribution.
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