Medicago truncatula

Şufen

Annual, 15-30 cm with simple hairs. Stipules deeply dentate to laciniate. Leaflets 8-15 x 7-12 mm, cuneate to obovate, truncate; margin serrate, rarely incised, sometimes leaflets laciniate. Peduncle 1-2-flowered, about equal to petiole. Flowers 6-8 mm. Calyx teeth slender, longer than tube. Corolla less than 2 x calyx. Young fruit usually contracted inside calyx. Fruit cylindrical, spiny, often pubescent, sometimes glabrescent or glabrous, 6-12 mm high, hardening at maturity; coils 5-8, ± strongly adpressed; in mature pods submarginal vein seen from the surface of coil, not from side of pod ; coils usually 7-12 mm diam.; on surface of coils about 10 radial veins, slightly branching near submarginal vein and entering into it; deep furrow between submarginal and marginal veins; spines 6-10 from each surface, not grooved or with short groove at their base, straight or curved, sometimes with thickened base . Fl. 3-6. Rocky limestone slopes, in scrub, s.l.-800 m.

1-Height of ripe fruits exceeding its diameter; coils strongly adpressed; spines not curved, more or less adpressed to side of fruit ........................................................................var. truncatula                      1-Height of ripe fruit equal to its diameter or less; coils slightly adpressed; spines curved, not adpressed to side of fruit .....................................................................................var. longiaculeata

Mediterranean area, Caucasia; N. Iran? Medit. element.