Medicago
Encyclopedia
Medicago is a genus of flowering plants, commonly known as medick or burclover. The name is based on Latin medica 'alfalfa, lucerne,' from 'Median
(grass).'
The best known member of the genus is alfalfa
(also called lucerne) (M. sativa), an important crop. The species Medicago truncatula
is a model legume due to its relatively small stature, genome (450–500Mb), short generation time (~3 months) and ability to reproduce both by outcrossing
and selfing.
The Medicago genus contains 83 species, including the agriculturally important alfalfa (M. sativa), and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean basin. Comprehensive descriptions of the genus are Lesinš and Lesinš 1979 and Small and Jomphe 1989. Major collections are SARDI (Australia
), USDA-GRIN (USA), ICARDA (Syria
), and the INRA collection in Montpellier
(France
). Several molecular phylogenies containing most of the species are available, although they differ.
Most members of the family are low, creeping herbs, resembling clover
, but with bur
s (hence the common name). However, alfalfa grows to a height of 1 meter, and tree medick (M. arborea) is a shrub
.
(soybean) 53–55 million years ago and from Lotus
(deervetch) 49–51 million years ago
strains and tested the symbiotic ability of 6 strains with 35 Medicago species. Comparison of these phylogenies indicates many transitions in the compatibility of the association over evolutionary time. Furthermore, they propose that the geographical distribution of strains limits the distribution of particular Medicago species.
and Medicago truncatula
) have been used as forage crops.
e of some Lepidoptera
species including Common Swift
, Flame
, Latticed Heath
, Lime-speck Pug
, Nutmeg
, Setaceous Hebrew Character
, Turnip Moth
and case-bearers of the genus Coleophora
including C. frischella (recorded on M. sativa) and C. fuscociliella (feeds exclusively on Medicago spp).
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
(grass).'
The best known member of the genus is alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
(also called lucerne) (M. sativa), an important crop. The species Medicago truncatula
Medicago truncatula
Medicago truncatula is a small legume native to the Mediterranean region that is used in genomic research. It is a low-growing, clover-like plant 10–60 cm tall with trifoliate leaves. Each leaflet is rounded, 1–2 cm long, often with a dark spot in the center...
is a model legume due to its relatively small stature, genome (450–500Mb), short generation time (~3 months) and ability to reproduce both by outcrossing
Outcrossing
Outcrossing is the practice of introducing unrelated genetic material into a breeding line. It increases genetic diversity, thus reducing the probability of all individuals being subject to disease or reducing genetic abnormalities...
and selfing.
The Medicago genus contains 83 species, including the agriculturally important alfalfa (M. sativa), and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean basin. Comprehensive descriptions of the genus are Lesinš and Lesinš 1979 and Small and Jomphe 1989. Major collections are SARDI (Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), USDA-GRIN (USA), ICARDA (Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
), and the INRA collection in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). Several molecular phylogenies containing most of the species are available, although they differ.
Most members of the family are low, creeping herbs, resembling clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
, but with bur
BUR
BUR may refer to:* Bur, a saying by Gucci Mane* Burs , a Germanic tribe* Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, California * Burmese language * Burkina Faso...
s (hence the common name). However, alfalfa grows to a height of 1 meter, and tree medick (M. arborea) is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
.
Evolution
It is estimated that Medicago diverged from GlycineGlycine
Glycine is an organic compound with the formula NH2CH2COOH. Having a hydrogen substituent as its 'side chain', glycine is the smallest of the 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins. Its codons are GGU, GGC, GGA, GGG cf. the genetic code.Glycine is a colourless, sweet-tasting crystalline solid...
(soybean) 53–55 million years ago and from Lotus
Lotus (genus)
Lotus is a genus that includes bird's-foot trefoils and deervetches and contains many dozens of species distributed world-wide. Depending on the taxonomic authority, roughly between 70 and 150 are accepted. Lotus is a genus of legume and its members are adapted to a wide range of habitats, from...
(deervetch) 49–51 million years ago
Symbiosis With Nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia
Béna et al. (2005) constructed a molecular phylogeny of 23 SinorhizobiumSinorhizobium
Sinorhizobium/Ensifer is a genus of nitrogen-fixing bacteria , two of which have been sequenced.-Etymology:...
strains and tested the symbiotic ability of 6 strains with 35 Medicago species. Comparison of these phylogenies indicates many transitions in the compatibility of the association over evolutionary time. Furthermore, they propose that the geographical distribution of strains limits the distribution of particular Medicago species.
Agricultural Uses
Other than alfalfa, several of the creeping members of the family (such as Medicago lupulinaMedicago lupulina
Medicago lupulina is a summer annual or perennial plant usually considered a weed. It has a tap root. Like other legumes, it has three leaflets; its center leaflet is on a separate petiole...
and Medicago truncatula
Medicago truncatula
Medicago truncatula is a small legume native to the Mediterranean region that is used in genomic research. It is a low-growing, clover-like plant 10–60 cm tall with trifoliate leaves. Each leaflet is rounded, 1–2 cm long, often with a dark spot in the center...
) have been used as forage crops.
Insect Herbivores
Medicago species are used as food plants by the larvaLarva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including Common Swift
Common Swift (moth)
The Common Swift is a moth of the family Hepialidae. It was previously placed in the genus Hepialus. It is a common, often abundant European species....
, Flame
Flame (moth)
The Flame is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe.This species has creamy-buff forewings with black streaking along the costa. The hindwings are whitish with a dark line along the margin. The wingspan is 30-36 mm...
, Latticed Heath
Latticed Heath
The Latticed Heath is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout Europe, the Near East and North Africa. It is a fairly common species in the British Isles....
, Lime-speck Pug
Lime-speck Pug
The Lime-speck Pug is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species throughout the Palearctic region, the Near East and North Africa....
, Nutmeg
Nutmeg (moth)
The nutmeg , also known as the clover cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout Europe although in the north of its range it is a summer migrant, not being able to survive the cold winters.This is a small to medium species with cryptically coloured forewings, varying from...
, Setaceous Hebrew Character
Setaceous Hebrew Character
The Setaceous Hebrew Character is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in the Palearctic ecozone. It is a common species throughout Europe. It is also found in North America, from coast to coast across Canada and the northern United States to western Alaska. It occurs in the Rocky Mountains...
, Turnip Moth
Turnip Moth
The Turnip Moth is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a common European species, but it is also found in Asia and Africa, very likely having been spread by the international trade in nursery stock...
and case-bearers of the genus Coleophora
Coleophora
Coleophora is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions...
including C. frischella (recorded on M. sativa) and C. fuscociliella (feeds exclusively on Medicago spp).
List of Species
This list is compiled from.- Medicago agropyretorum
- Medicago alatavica
- Medicago arabicaMedicago arabicaMedicago arabica is a flowering plant of the family Fabaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation....
- Medicago arboreaMedicago arboreaMedicago arborea is a plant species of the genus Medicago. Common names include moon trefoil, shrub medick, and tree medick. It is found throughout Europe and especially in the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of...
- Medicago archiducis-nicolai
- Medicago astroites
- Medicago blancheana
- Medicago brachycarpaMedicago brachycarpaMedicago brachycarpa is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Middle East. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation.-External links:*...
- Medicago cancellata
- Medicago carstiensisMedicago carstiensisMedicago carstiensis is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found around the Adriatic Sea.-External links:*...
- Medicago caucasica
- Medicago ciliarisMedicago ciliarisMedicago ciliaris or ciliate medick is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. It is considered by some to be a subspecies of Medicago...
- Medicago constrictaMedicago constrictaMedicago constricta is an annual, non-climbing species of the genus Medicago. It is found in the Mediterranean basin from Greece to Israel. M. constricta is found primarily in sandy clay or dry soils. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of...
- Medicago coronataMedicago coronataMedicago coronata or crown medick is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation....
- Medicago crassipes
- Medicago cretacea
- Medicago cyrenaea
- Medicago daghestanica
- Medicago difalcata
- Medicago disciformis
- Medicago doliata
- Medicago edgeworthii
- Medicago falcataMedicago falcataMedicago falcata is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is native to the Mediterranean basin, but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation...
- Medicago fischeriana
- Medicago glomerata
- Medicago granadensis
- Medicago grossheimii
- Medicago gunibica
- Medicago heldreichii
- Medicago hemicoerulea
- Medicago heyniana
- Medicago hybrida
- Medicago hypogaea
- Medicago intertextaMedicago intertextaMedicago intertexta is a flowering plant of the family Fabaceae. It is found primarily in the western Mediterranean basin...
- Medicago italica
- Medicago karatschaia
- Medicago komarovii
- Medicago laciniataMedicago laciniataMedicago laciniata is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found primarily in the southern Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Common names include cut-leaved medick and tattered medick....
- Medicago lanigera
- Medicago laxispira
- Medicago littoralisMedicago littoralisMedicago littoralis is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found primarily in the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Common names include coastal medick and strand medick.- External links :*...
- Medicago lupulinaMedicago lupulinaMedicago lupulina is a summer annual or perennial plant usually considered a weed. It has a tap root. Like other legumes, it has three leaflets; its center leaflet is on a separate petiole...
- Medicago marinaMedicago marinaMedicago marina is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found worldwide. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Common names include coastal medick and sea medick.- External...
- Medicago medicaginoides
- Medicago meyeri
- Medicago minimaMedicago minimaMedicago minima is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found worldwide. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation...
- Medicago monantha
- Medicago monspeliaca
- Medicago murexMedicago murexMedicago murex or spiny medick is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation....
- Medicago muricoleptis
- Medicago noeanaMedicago noeanaMedicago noeana is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Middle East. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation.-External links:*...
- Medicago orbicularisMedicago orbicularisMedicago orbicularis is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Common names include button clover, button medick, and round-fruited...
- Medicago orthoceras
- Medicago ovalis
- Medicago papillosa
- Medicago persica
- Medicago phrygia
- Medicago pironae
- Medicago playtcarpa
- Medicago polyceratia
- Medicago polychroa
- Medicago polymorphaMedicago polymorphaMedicago polymorpha is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation...
- Medicago praecoxMedicago praecoxMedicago praecox or early medick is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the northern Mediterranean. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation....
- Medicago prostrata
- Medicago radiataMedicago radiataMedicago radiata or ray-podded medick is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the eastern Mediterranean and in Asia. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation.- External links :*...
- Medicago retrorsa
- Medicago rhodopea
- Medicago rigida
- Medicago rigidula
- Medicago rigiduloides
- Medicago rotataMedicago rotataMedicago rotata is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the eastern Mediterranean from Turkey to Israel. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation....
- Medicago rugosa
- Medicago rupestris
- Medicago ruthenica
- Medicago sativa
- Medicago sauvagei
- Medicago saxatilis
- Medicago schischkinii
- Medicago scutellataMedicago scutellataMedicago scutellata is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. Common names include shield medick and snail medick.- External links :*...
- Medicago secundiflora
- Medicago shepardii
- Medicago sinskiae
- Medicago soleirolii
- Medicago strasseri
- Medicago suffruticosa
- Medicago syriaca
- Medicago talyschensis
- Medicago tenoreana
- Medicago transoxana
- Medicago truncatulaMedicago truncatulaMedicago truncatula is a small legume native to the Mediterranean region that is used in genomic research. It is a low-growing, clover-like plant 10–60 cm tall with trifoliate leaves. Each leaflet is rounded, 1–2 cm long, often with a dark spot in the center...
- Medicago tunetana
- Medicago turbinataMedicago turbinataMedicago turbinata or Southern medick is a plant species of the genus Medicago. It is found throughout the Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. An unidentified lectin isolated from M. turbinata has...
- Medicago vardanis
- Medicago virescens