Common name:
Black medick
Family:
Scientific name:
Medicago lupulina
Main flower color:
Range:
All of the UK, except the Scottish Highlands
Height:
Up to 25 cm
Habitat:
Grassland, roadsides, disturbed ground
Flowers:
Compact, dense clusters, at most 9 mm in diameter, containing up to 40 small yellow flowers, at the top of hairy stalks
Fruit:
Short, coiled, spineless pods, ageing to black
Leaves:
Trifoliate, the leaflets obovate, up to 20 mm long, lined with tiny teeth and crossed by a regular grid of pinnate, light-coloured veins
Season:
April to October
Rarity:
★★★★★