Medicago praecox

Erken yonca

Small, usually procumbent annual, 10-20 cm, sparsely covered with simple hairs. Leaflets small, 2-7 x2-5 mm, obovate to obcordate, truncate with a middle tooth; stipules deeply incised. Peduncle 1-2-flowered, shorter than petiole . Flowers minute, c. 2 mm. Calyx teeth about as long as tube, one tooth longer than the others. Corolla slightly longer than calyx. Young fruit protruding sideways from the calyx. Fruit short-cylindrical, 2-4 mm high, spiny, with simple hairs, rarely glabrescent. Coils 2 ½ -4, loose, 2-4 mm diam.; surface of each coil with 8-12 prominent radial veins approaching the form of semi-circles, each entering into a broad submarginal vein near the marginal border; deep furrow between submarginal vein and dorsal suture not observable from side of fruit; spines inserted at 90-120°, 2-3 mm, hooked and grooved, about 10 from each side of coil. Rocky slopes near sea.

Mediterranean area , Crimea. Medit. element.