Medicago minima - Little Bur Clover

Little Bur Clover is an annual pubescent herb looking similar to M. polymorpha but easily differentiated by hairy stems, nearly entire stipules , smaller 5-10 mm long leaflets and smaller fruit with 3-5 coils and spines away from marginal border, at right-angles to the disc. It is a prostrate to ascending hairy plant with branches up to 3 ft long. Leaves are 3-foliolate, leaflets obovate to inverted-heart-shaped, terminal leaflets 5-14 mm long, 3.5-8 mm wide, toothed towards apex, densely hairy when young, sometimes with darker flecks. Flowers are borne in 1- or 2-flowered clusteres. Peduncle are shorter than to twice as long as subtending petiole. Calyx teeth are slightly shorter to longer than tube. Flowers are yellow, standard 3.5-5 mm long; keel equal to or longer than wings. Pod is discoid, 2.5-5 mm long, 3-5 mm diameter, coils 3-5, radical veins 6-8 per coil, spines about 8-16 in each row, up to 4 mm long, seeds 3-7. Little Bur Clover is found in Kashmir, Pakistan, Europe, N.Africa and Cape.