Medicago rigidula (L.) All.

Spice

Family: LEGUMINOSAE

Genus: Medicago

Catalan common name: Melgó rígid.

Spanish common name: Carretilla espinosa.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytics communities and paths sides.

Characteristics: A small annual legume that differs from the rest of the subspecies of the same genus (mainly M. doliata) by the hairs present on the fruit and the folioles with a truncated apex. The stems (up to 70 cm.) are branched from the base; the leaves are trifoliate and toothed on the upper half, same as the stipules. The fruit has the shape of a disc or cylinder, with spines and many teeth.