HerbWildAnnual

Medicago polymorpha L.

Maina

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Description

Medicago polymorpha is an annual herb, usually 10–60 cm tall, with a spreading or prostrate growth habit. Stems are branched, slender, and often hairy. Leaves are trifoliolate with three obovate leaflets, each showing a characteristic small notch at the apex and toothed margins. Flowers are small, yellow, bisexual, and arranged in axillary clusters. Fruits are distinctive spiral-shaped pods with several coils, covered with hooked spines that attach to animals and facilitate seed dispersal.

Diagnostic Characters

Vegetative

Prostrate annual herb. Trifoliate leaves. Small toothed leaflets.

Floral

Small yellow flowers.

Fruit & Seed

Spiral pods with hooked spines.

Distribution

Native range: Native to Mediterranean region.

In Pakistan: Common in Pakistan, India, Temperate regions worldwide.

Phenology

Flowering

Fruiting

Flowering: February–May Fruiting: April–June

Ethnobotany & Uses

Agricultural Importance

Used as Fodder crop, Pasture improvement species, Nitrogen fixer.

Ecological Importance

Improves soil fertility. Supports grazing systems.

UniFlora AI Assistant

Ask about Maina

Hello! I'm UniFlora AI. Ask me anything about Maina (*Medicago polymorpha*) — identification tips, flowering season, uses, campus locations, or taxonomy.

Where it grows on campus

This species is on the campus floristic list but was not pinned during the GPS mapping survey, so it has no map records yet.

Taxonomic Notes

Recognized by Yellow flowers, Trifoliate leaves, Spiny spiral pods, UniFlora Field Recognition Tip 🌿. Look for 🍀 Three leaflets, 🌼 Yellow flowers.