Hedysarum spinosissimum L.
Family: LEGUMINOSAE
Genus: Hedysarum
Catalan common name: Clover bord. Enclòver bord.
Spanish common name: Zulla enana.
Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Lleida. Tarragona. València.
Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.
General distribution (Phytogeography): North Mediterranean
IUCN Category: Least concern
Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Life-forms: Terophyte.
Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Therophytic calicole fields. Cultivated fields, road sides and garriques. Therophytic communities.
Characteristics: A small annual cycle Leguminosae, generally with small branches prostrate on the ground, these are usually reddish. The composite leaves have up to eight pairs of leaflets and one more unpaired terminal one. The flowers that are grouped at the end of a leaf-stalk are pink. The fruits are very characteristic: they are flat, divided into round pieces covered in stings, each piece has a seed and as they ripen, the segments break one from another, dispersing separately. It lives in small meadows of annual plants in dry places. When it is in fruit it is unmistakable. It flowers in spring.