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Medicago polymorpha

Medicago nigra.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Showing growth habit, inflorescences, flower buds and flowers. Hi’tara | Noddy Island, Te Whanga, Rēkohu | Wharekauri | Chatham Island.<br>Photographer: Peter J de Lange, Date taken: 14/12/2025, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Solitary flower - Hi’Tara | Noddy Island, Rēkohu | Wharekauri | Chatham Island.<br>Photographer: Peter J de Lange, Date taken: 14/12/2025, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Close up of flower. Hi’tara | Noddy Island, Te Whanga, Rēkohu | Wharekauri | Chatham Island.<br>Photographer: Peter J de Lange, Date taken: 14/12/2025, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Paired flowers. Hi’tara Island, Te Whanga, Rēkohu | Wharekauri | Chatham Island.<br>Photographer: Peter J de Lange, Date taken: 14/12/2025, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Stem node and stipule. Whanganui. Nov 2011.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Immature fruits. Hi’Tara | Noddy Island, Te Whanga, Rēkohu | Wharekauri | Chatham Island.<br>Photographer: Peter J de Lange, Date taken: 14/12/2025, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Medicago polymorpha - immature fruit. Hi’tara | Noddy Island, Te Whanga, Rēkohu | Wharekauri | Chatham Island.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Date taken: 14/12/2025, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Fruit and stipules. Wellington.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 11/06/2009, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.

Fruit. Wellington.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 11/06/2009, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.

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Common names

bur medick

Biostatus

Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Conservation status

Not applicable

Detailed taxonomy

Genus

Medicago

Family

Fabaceae

Authority

Medicago nigra (L.) Krock.

Synonyms

Medicago nigra (L.) Krock., Medicago polymorpha var. nigra L.

Endemic family

Ecology

Year naturalised

1855

Origin

Europe, Asia, N. Africa

Other information

Etymology

medicago: Derived indirectly from the Persian name Media (an Iranian kingdom in existence from late second millennium BC to the first millennium BC), whence alfalfa allegedly originates.

NVS code

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

MEDNIG

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