| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual to tree
Leaves generally compound, alternate, stipuled; leaflets generally entire
Inflorescence: generally raceme, spike, umbel or head; flowers sometime 1–2 in axils
Flowers generally bisexual, generally bilateral; hypanthium generally flat or cup-like; sepals generally 5, fused; petals generally 5, free, or the 2 lower ± fused; stamens 1–many, often 10 with 9 filaments at least partly fused, 1 (uppermost) free; pistil 1, ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, ovules 1–many, style, stigma 1
Fruit: legume, sometimes including a stalk-like base above receptacle, dehiscent, or indehiscent and breaking into 1-seeded segments, or indehiscent, 1-seeded, and achene-like
Seeds 1–several, often ± reniform, generally hard, smooth
Genera in family: ± 650 genera, 18,000 species: worldwide; with grasses, requisite in agriculture and most natural ecosystems. Many cultivated, most importantly Arachis , peanut; Glycine , soybean; Phaseolus , beans; Medicago ; Trifolium ; and many orns
Reference: [Polhill & Raven (eds) 1981 Advances in legume systematics; Allen & Allen 1981 Leguminosae]
Family description and key to genera by Duane Isely.
Annual or perennial herb, unarmed
Stem prostrate to erect
Leaves generally odd-1-pinnate, sometimes subpalmately compound; stipules somewhat fused with petiole, entire or deeply cut; leaflets 3, generally toothed near tip
Inflorescence: raceme, axillary or terminal, few–many-flowered
Flower: calyx lobes ± equal or not; corolla yellow or purple; 9 filaments fused, 1 free
Fruit indehiscent, generally coiled 1.5–5 turns, generally prickly
Seeds 1–several
Species in genus: ± 55 species: Eurasia (especially Medit); several cultivated and naturalized worldwide
Etymology: (Medea, source of alfalfa, which then bore Greek name Medice)
Reference: [Small & Jomphe 1989 Can J Bot 67:3260–3294]
| Introduced |
Perennial, ± glabrous or puberulent
Stem decumbent to generally erect, 2–8 dm
Leaf: stipules entire to sharply toothed; leaflets 1–1.5 cm, narrowly lanceolate to obovate
Inflorescence spike-like, 8–25-flowered, longer in fruit
Flower: calyx 4–4.5 mm; corolla 8–10 mm, purple or multicolored (i.e., violet, violet-green, greenish yellow, rarely yellow)
Fruit generally coiled 2–3 turns (rarely only sickle-shaped), leathery; prickles 0
Chromosomes: 2n=16,32
Ecology: Disturbed and agricultural areas
Elevation: < 1500 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province, Great Basin Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: most of US except se; native to Eurasia
Flowering time: Apr–Oct
Reference: [Isely 1983 Iowa State J Res 57:207–220]
Cult; variable polyploid complex in US, including genetic components from several species; often divided into several species or subspp.