Medicago truncatula
Barrel medick, barrel clover, Barrel Clover
(c) Louis Aureglia, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Annual · Not Native
Medicago truncatula (Barrel medick) is a non-native California annual in the Fabaceae family, recognized by cylindric tight spirals and long straight prickles distinctive.
Barrel medick is a naturalized annual found in southern Coastal Ranges and Peninsular Ranges in disturbed and agricultural areas at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small yellow flowers in clusters of 1 to 3 blossoms. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems 10 to 80 centimeters long that are sparsely hairy, it has a delicate, spreading habit. Its leaves have three leaflets, each 10 to 25 millimeters long, obovate in shape with a distinctive dark central spot and toothed edges near the tip. The fruit is a distinctive tight spiral 5 to 8 millimeters long, coiled in 3 to 6 turns and lightly covered with small straight or curved prickles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; cylindric tight spirals and long straight prickles distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed and agricultural areas
Elevation: < 800 m
Outside California: native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Medicago truncatula blooms Mar-Apr.
How to tell it apart
vs Melilotus: Medicago fruits are spirally coiled; Melilotus fruits are small egg-shaped pods with transverse ridges.; vs Trifolium: Medicago flowers fall off; Trifolium flowers persist and enclose the fruit in papery covering.; vs Oxalis: Medicago has pea-shaped flowers and coiled fruits; wood-sorrels (Oxalis) have 5-petaled flowers and upright capsules.; vs Acmispon: Medicago has toothed leaflets and coiled fruits; Acmispon has smooth-edged leaflets and straight pods.; vs Vicia: Medicago has coiled prickly fruits; vetches (Vicia) have flat straight pods and tendrils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Medicago truncatula native to California?
No. Medicago truncatula is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Medicago truncatula bloom?
Medicago truncatula blooms Mar-Apr.
What plant family does Medicago truncatula belong to?
Medicago truncatula is in the Fabaceae family, genus Medicago.
What habitat does Medicago truncatula grow in?
Medicago truncatula grows in Uncommon. Disturbed and agricultural areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Medicago arabica — Burclover
- Medicago lupulina — Black medick
- Medicago minima — Burclover
- Medicago orbicularis — Blackdisk medick
- Medicago polymorpha — California burclover
- Medicago praecox — Mediterranean medick
- Melilotus albus — White sweetclover
- Melilotus indicus — Sourclover
- Melilotus officinalis — Yellow sweetclover
- Melilotus sp. — Sweetclover
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.