Medicago coronata
Medicago coronata
Gevşek yonca
Small annual ascending herb, 7-15 cm, simple-hairy or with simple and glandular hairs. Stipules entire or with dentate margin of few minute, distant teeth. Leaflets 5-8 x 4-6 mm, obovate, rarely oblanceolate or cuneate, retuse, with a terminal tooth. Peduncle 6-12-flowered in a short, head-like inflorescence, usually much longer than petiole. Flowers minute, 2-3 mm. Calyx teeth shorter than tube, one tooth usually longer. Corolla usually less than twice as long as calyx. Young fruit protruding sideways from the calyx. Fruit minute, short-cylindrical, 1-4 mm high, spiny, pubescent, rarely glabrescent; coils 1 ½-2 ½ , loose, each 1,5-4 mm diam.; surface of coils with 5-8 prominent radial veins, each producing 1-2 branches, all entering into a submarginal vein near the marginal border; a deep furrow, not observable from side of pod. between sub-marginal vein and marginal border; spines inserted at 90°, about 10 from each side of each coil, nearly straight and 0,5-1,5 mm when short, usually hooked when longer. Fl. 3-5. Rocky limestone slopes, stony plains, Pinus brutia forest, macchie, waste places, s.l-1000 m.
S. Europe, N. Africa, Cyprus, W. Syria, Syrian Desert, N. Iraq, Azerbaijan. Medit. element.
