Medicago falcata
Sickle clover ( Medicago sativa subsp. Falcata)
The sickle clover ( Medicago sativa L. subsp. Falcata (L.) Arcang. ), Also called sickle alfalfa, sickle lucerne or Yellow alfalfa, a subspecies of the plant alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) from the kind of alfalfa (Medicago ).
Description
The sickle clover is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches the heights of growth usually between 20 to 60 (up to 120 ) centimeters. The branched stem is rarely perfectly upright mostly ascending to decumbent. The stalked leaves are pinnate three parts. The narrow elliptical, wedge-shaped at the base of leaflets are 5-20 mm long and 2-10 mm wide at the top with cut spike tip.
It blooms from May / June to October in dense racemose inflorescences with 3-20 flowers. The relatively small, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic flowers are 7 to 11 millimeters long. The petals are of a bright yellow color. The seeds mature in about 7 to 15 mm long and 1.5 to 9 mm wide, straight or typically sickle-shaped legumes.
Occurrence
Sickle clover grows on dry, calcareous, chalky, deep loamy soils in sunny locations. It is found mainly in the bushes hemming, to Wegböschungen or in semi-arid grassland. This type often grows together with horseshoe vetch ( Hippocrepis comosa ) or seed sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia ).
The range extends from southern Europe in the north to England, Denmark and the Baltic States. In the east it extends to West and Central Asia.
Ecology
The sickle is clover nectar plant for the White Dagger Bluebird, Bluebird Dickkopffalter and Commons.
System
The subspecies Medicago sativa L. subsp. falcata (L.) Arcang. belongs to the species Medicago sativa L. Section: Medicago within the genus Medicago. The sickle clover is treated in Floren also often referred to as type (Medicago falcata). The position within the Medicago sativa species complex is still under discussion (tea Havananda 2010). Future studies will show whether the rank of a species or subspecies is more appropriate.
There are at least two varieties:
- Medicago sativa subsp. falcata (L.) Arcang. var falcata ( syn.. Medicago borealis Grossh, Medicago difalcata Sinskaya, Medicago falcata L. ( basionym ), Medicago falcata var romanica ( Prodan ) O.Schwarz & Klink, Medicago quasifalcata Sinskaya, Medicago romanica Prodan, Medicago tenderiensis Opperman. ex Klokov )
- Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var viscosa ( Rchb. ) POSP. ( Syn: .. Medicago falcata subsp glandulosa ( WDJKoch ) Greuter & Burdet, Medicago falcata var glandulosa WDJKoch, Medicago glandulosa Davidov, Medicago procumbens var viscosa Rchb ( basionym ), Medicago sativa f viscosa ( Rchb. ) Urb. , Medicago sativa subsp. viscosa ( Rchb. ) CRGunn )