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    Home»Herbs and Spices»Facts about Toothed Bur-Clover
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts about Toothed Bur-Clover

    By SylviaJune 5, 2019Updated:June 5, 2019No Comments4 Mins Read
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    Toothed Bur-Clover scientifically known as Medicago polymorpha is a plant species of the genus Medicago and Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family). The plant is native to Europe, Central Asia, China, Japan, and North Africa. It is highly cultivated in Argentina, Australia and areas of the US particularly the Pacific Northwest, the southeast, and the southwest. It is also cultivated in much of South America, especially in Chile. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Few of the popular common names of the plant include bur clover, burr medic, California bur-clover, Californian bur clover, common burr medic, hairy medic, hairy medick, medic, spiny burr medic, toothed bur clover, toothed medic, toothed medick, yellow bur-clover, Black Medick, Burclover, Bur medick, Bur trefoil, Rough medic, Trefoil-clover,  Multi-formed medick, Smooth burr-clover, Bur Trefoil, Rough Medic and nafal.

    Plant Description

    Toothed Bur-Clover is an annual sprawling broadleaf legume plant that grows about 6-22 inches tall. The plant is found growing in open, dry to occasionally mesic, disturbed areas such as pastures, roadsides, vacant lots, desert regions, field borders, fallow fields, waste places, ditches and irrigation channels. The plant succeeds in practically all types of soils, but loams are most suitable. In the Southern US, the plants grow best in soils rich in lime, but will survive in poorer soils. It prefers moist, well drained soils, but in California it grows vigorously in adobe soils, which are often poorly drained. Root system has a tap root that is difficult to pull out when established. Stem is weak and reach a length of 60-75 cm. In thick stands, the stems may become erect, reaching to a height of 60 cm.

    Leaves

    New seedlings have seed leaves that are oblong. The first true leaf is rounded. Later leaves will be tripartite, with a characteristic clover-like shape, appearing alternately on the stems. Leaflets have slightly serrated edges. Leaflets are inverted-egg shaped, obovate to obcordate, 5–30 mm long, 3–22 mm wide, minutely dentate especially towards apex, both surfaces more or less glabrous, upper surface sometimes with darker flecks, apex truncate or emarginate with a terminal tooth. Stipules are 15 mm long, laciniate, glabrous or lower surface hairy.

    Flowers

    Being a member of the Leguminosae family, the flowers are clover-like, lipped and clustered. Bloom takes place from May to August in the plant’s native territory. Flowers (3–6 mm long) are small, bright yellow, and cluster into flower heads of 2 to 10 flowers at the stem tips. The tiny yellow flowers attract small butterflies and other pollinating insects.

    Chinese-white-wine-fried-with-toothed-bur-clover Closer-view-of-Flowers-of-Toothed-Bur-Clover Closer-view-of-immature-fruit-of-Toothed-Bur-Clover Leaves-of-Toothed-Bur-Clover Mature-dried-fruits-of-Toothed-Bur-Clover Plant-Illustration-of-Toothed-Bur-Clover Seeds-of-Toothed-Bur-Clover Sketch-of-Toothed-Bur-Clover Toothed-Bur-Clover-Fruits-on-the-plant
    [Show thumbnails]

    Fruits

    Fertile flowers are followed by seed pods, coiled in 2 to 5 spirals, forming a drum-shaped body are about 6–7 mm in diameter, the margins with straight or hooked spines as much as 3 mm long, or occasionally spineless. They start out green and relatively soft, but quickly turn brown and hard. Inside the pod are several kidney shaped seeds usually yellow or tan colored. The burred fruiting bodies can be quite difficult to remove from softer fabrics, such as fleeces and knitted socks.

    Traditional uses and benefits of Toothed Bur-Clover

    • It is used as a green manure, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen.
    • Bur clover is used for medicinal purposes for skin plagues and dysentery.
    • In Italy, bur clover leaf has been used for many centuries, such as medicinal purposes for treating rheumatic pains and wounds and is still used today.

    Culinary uses

    • Leaves and young shoots are consumed raw or cooked as a potherb.
    • Only the young leaves are eaten raw.
    • Flowers can be consumed raw or cooked.
    • Seed are consumed after cooking.
    • Seed can be parched, ground into a powder and mixed with water to make a mush.
    • In tribal areas of Pakistan where many families have been displaced due to war, bur clover’s leaves and stems are used as pot vegetables in its fresh and dry form.

    Other Facts

    • Bur clover is mainly used as good quality forage.
    • All classes of livestock, except horses and mules, eat it readily.
    • Its use for sheep may raise problems because the prickly burs stick in the wool and can reduce its quality.
    • Well-developed plants may contain more than 1000 pods.
    • Bur clover flowers from 100-126 days after planting depending on location, time of seeding, and cultivars used.
    • In the Bolivian Andes, bur clover has been used since the 16th century, for medicinal purposes, environmental uses, and animal feed.
    • It is a useful plant for renovating worn out soils, and can be used in mild-winter areas as an autumn sown crop to prevent the erosion of cultivated soils.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=503725#null

    https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/89863/

    http://www.hear.org/pier/species/medicago_polymorpha.htm

    https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=23645

    https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Medicago+polymorpha

    http://www.floracatalana.net/medicago-polymorpha-l-

    https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=MEPO3

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/ild-8528

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/MEDPO

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicago_polymorpha

    http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=B28F68E6-C3BE-476F-966C-E9EA779A017B

    https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/264656

    http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Bur%20Clover.html

    https://www.feedipedia.org/node/276

    https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_mepo3.pdf

    http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/WEEDS/california_burclover.html

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    Toothed Bur-Clover facts

    Toothed Bur-Clover Quick Facts
    Name: Toothed Bur-Clover
    Scientific Name: Medicago polymorpha
    Origin Europe, Central Asia, China, Japan, and North Africa
    Colors Green when young turning to brown as they mature
    Shapes Seed pods, coiled in 2 to 5 spirals, forming a drum-shaped body about 5 mm in diameter
    Health benefits Beneficial for skin plagues, dysentery, rheumatic pains and wounds
    Name Toothed Bur-Clover
    Scientific Name Medicago polymorpha
    Native Europe, Central Asia, China, Japan, and North Africa. It is highly cultivated in Argentina, Australia and areas of the US particularly the pacific northwest, the southeast, and the southwest. It is also cultivated in much of South America, especially in Chile
    Common Names Bur clover, burr medic, California bur-clover, Californian bur clover, common burr medic, hairy medic, hairy medick, medic, spiny burr medic, toothed bur clover, toothed medic, toothed medick, yellow bur-clover, Black Medick, Burclover, Bur medick, Bur trefoil, Rough medic, Trefoil-clover,  Multi-formed medick, Smooth burr-clover, Bur Trefoil, Rough Medic, nafal
    Name in Other Languages Afrikaans: Klitsklawer, Stekelklawer
    Albanian: Jonxha e dhëmbëzuar, jonxhë             
    Arabic: Nafal, fasat mutaeadidat al’ashkal  (فصة متعددة الأشكال), Naful
    Aragonese: Carretillas
    Bulgarian: izmenchiva lyutserna (изменчива люцерна)
    Catalan: Melgó, Melgó de llapassa, Trèvol de llapassa
    Chinese:  Hua hua cao zi,  Jin hua cai,  Nan mu xu (南苜蓿)
    Croatian: Oštrodlakava vija         
    Czech: Tolice mnohotvará, Tolice Chlupatà, tolice srstnatá
    Danish: Krog-sneglebælg
    Dutch: Kortpuntige rupsklaver, Ruige rupsklaver
    English: Burr medic, California bur-clover, Hairy medic, Toothed bur-clover, Toothed medic, Toothed medick, Black Medick, Burclover, Bur medick, Bur trefoil, Rough medic, Trefoil-clover, California burr-clover, Multi-formed medick, Smooth burr-clover, burclover, bur medick, Bur Trefoil, Rough Medic, nafal
    Finnish: Piikkimailanen
    French: Luzerne apiculée, Luzerne bardane, Luzerne hérissée, Luzerne polymorphe, Luzerne à fruits nombreux, luzerne fausse-bardane, luzerne hispide
    Galician: Herba do rosco; trebo caracol
    German: Borsten-Schneckenklee, Gemeiner Schneckenklee, Rauher Schneckenklee, Schwarzer Schneckenklee, Stachliger Schneckenklee, Wollklette, gezähnter Schneckenklee, rauhe Luzerne
    Hebrew: Aspeset Metzuya (אספסת מצויה)
    Hungarian: Szúrós Lucerna, déli lucerna               
    Italian: Erba medica polimorfa, Medica ispida
    Japanese:  Umagoyashi,  Nise umagoyashi (ウマゴヤシ)
    Korean: Gae ja ri
    Majorcan: Trébol de llepasa, trébol de llepassó, trèvol de llapassa, trévol de llapassó, trèvol de llapassó, trévol d’estormia
    Nepali : Sankhe pyauli
    Norwegian: Kroksnigleskolm
    Occitan: Dènti
    Persian: یونجه خاردار
    Polish: Lucerna szorstka
    Portuguese: Carrapiço, Trevo-preto, Trevo-rasteiro, carriço, luzerna, luzerna-preta
    Russian:  Liutserna chernaia,  Liutserna malen’kaia, Liutserna zubchataia (Люцерна зубчатая), Lyutzerna Chernaya, Lyutzerna Melkozubchataya, Lyutzerna Zubchataya, Lûcerna černaâ
    Serbian: говеђа детелин
    Slovak: Tolica čierna       
    Slovenian: Mnogolièna meteljka
    Spanish: Alfalfa de secano, Carretillas, Carretón, Carretón de amores, Melgó de llapassa, Mielga de caracolillo, Torteruelas, Trébol carretilla, Trébol de carretilla, Trèvol de llapassa, Trèvol de llapassó, Trèvol d’estormia, carretón común, mancaperros, alfalfilla, rodajilla, carretilla, cadillo de vaca
    Swedish: Kroklusern, Tagglucern, Tagglusern, Tagglusern
    Turkish: Kaba yonca, erken yonca, kırk yonca     
    Ukrainian: Люцерна мінлива (Люцерна мінлива), lyutserna zubchasta (люцерна зубчаста)
    Vietnamese: Linh lăng lá khía răng cưa
    Welsh: Maglys eddïog
    Plant Growth Habit Annual sprawling broadleaf legume plant
    Growing Climates Open, dry to occasionally mesic, disturbed areas such as pastures, roadsides and vacant lots, desert regions, field borders, fallow fields, waste places, ditches and irrigation channels
    Soil Succeed in practically all types of soils, but loams are most suitable. In the Southern US, the plants grow best in soils rich in lime, but will survive in poorer soils. It prefers moist, well drained soils, but in California it grows vigorously in adobe soils, which are often poorly drained
    Plant Size 6-22 inches tall
    Root Root system has a tap root that is difficult to pull out when established
    Stem Weak and reach a length of 60-75 cm. In thick stands, the stems may become erect, reaching to a height of 60 cm
    Leaf Leaves with 3 clover-like leaflets. Leaflets are inverted-egg shaped, obovate to obcordate, 5–30 mm long, 3–22 mm wide, minutely dentate especially towards apex, both surfaces more or less glabrous
    Flowering season May to August
    Flower Flower cluster consists of 3-5 small yellow flowers which bloom in early spring. Flowers are really tiny
    Fruit Shape & Size Seed pods, coiled in 2 to 5 spirals, forming a drum-shaped body about 5 mm in diameter, the margins with straight or hooked spines as much as 3 mm long, or occasionally spineless. The pods contain several kidney shaped seeds
    Fruit Color Green when young turning to brown as they mature
    Seed Brown, kidney shaped, 2-4 mm long, 1-2 seeds per coil of the pod
    Propagation By seed
    Season July to September

    Toothed Bur-Clover Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Medicago polymorpha

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Subdivision Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
    Subclass Rosidae
    Superorder Rosanae
    Order Fabales
    Family Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family)
    Genus Medicago L. (alfalfa)
    Species Medicago polymorpha L. (burclover, bur medick, toothed medick, California burclover, bur clover)
    Synonyms
    • Medica denticulata (Willd.) Greene
    • Medica denticulata Bubani, 1899
    • Medicago aculeata Gaertn., 1791
    • Medicago apiculata Willd.
    • Medicago confinis (Koch) J.M.Black
    • Medicago denticulata Willd.
    • Medicago denticulata subsp. lappacea (Desr.) Ball, 1878
    • Medicago denticulata var. vulgaris Benth.
    • Medicago gracillima Tineo
    • Medicago gracillima Tineo ex Urb.
    • Medicago hispida Gaertn.
    • Medicago hispida f. lappacea (Desr.) Urb.
    • Medicago hispida f. terebellum (Willd.) Urb.
    • Medicago hispida subsp. lappacea (Desr.) Bonnier & Layens, 1894
    • Medicago hispida subsp. oligocarpa Corb., 1894
    • Medicago hispida subsp. pentacycla (DC.) Arcang., 1882
    • Medicago hispida subsp. polycarpa (Willd. ex Schltdl.) Bonnier & Layens, 1894
    • Medicago hispida subsp. polymorpha (L.) Rouy, 1899
    • Medicago hispida var. confinus (W.D.J.Koch) Burnat
    • Medicago hispida var. denticulata (Willd.) Asch. & Graebn.
    • Medicago hispida var. denticulata (Willd.) Burnat
    • Medicago hispida var. denticulata (Willd.) Godr., 1843
    • Medicago hispida var. gracillima Rouy
    • Medicago hispida var. lappacea (Desr.) Burnat, 1892
    • Medicago hispida var. lappacea (Desr.) Urb.
    • Medicago hispida var. nigra L.
    • Medicago hispida var. oligocarpa (Corb.) Rouy, 1899
    • Medicago hispida var. pentacycla (DC.) Godr., 1849
    • Medicago lappacea Desr.
    • Medicago lappacea subsp. denticulata (Willd.) Nyman, 1878
    • Medicago loretii Albert
    • Medicago nigra (L.) Krock.
    • Medicago nigra subsp. microcarpa (Urb.) O.Bolos & Vigo
    • Medicago nigra var. denticulata (Willd.) O.Bolòs & Vigo
    • Medicago nigra var. nigra
    • Medicago nigra var. pentacycla (DC.) O.Bolòs & Vigo, 1974
    • Medicago obscura Vis., 1850
    • Medicago pentacycla DC.
    • Medicago polycarpa Godr. & Gren.
    • Medicago polycarpa Willd.
    • Medicago polycarpa Willd. ex Schltdl., 1813
    • Medicago polycarpa Willd. ex Steud.
    • Medicago polycarpa subsp. polymorpha (L.) Cadevall & Sallent
    • Medicago polycarpa subsp. reticulata (Benth.) Coste
    • Medicago polycarpa var. denticulata (Willd.) Godr., 1849
    • Medicago polymorpha subsp. hispida (Gaertn.) Ponert
    • Medicago polymorpha subsp. lappacea (Desr.) Bonafe
    • Medicago polymorpha subsp. polycarpa Romero Zarco
    • Medicago polymorpha subsp. polymorpha L., 1753
    • Medicago polymorpha subsp. reticulata (Benth.) J.L.Solanas Ferrándiz & M.B.Crespo
    • Medicago polymorpha var. apiculata (Willd.) Ooststr. & Reichg.
    • Medicago polymorpha var. ciliaris (Ser.) Shinners
    • Medicago polymorpha var. confinis (Koch) N.Diklić
    • Medicago polymorpha var. confinis Koch.
    • Medicago polymorpha var. denticulata (Willd.) Kerguélen
    • Medicago polymorpha var. lappacea Willd.
    • Medicago polymorpha var. nigra L.
    • Medicago polymorpha var. oligocarpa Corb.
    • Medicago polymorpha var. tricycla (Gren. & Godr.) Shinners
    • Medicago reticulata Benth.
    • Medicago terebellum Willd.
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