Medicago arabica

Decumbent or ascending annual herb; stems 40–60 cm long, sparsely hairy; hairs simple or mixed simple and glandular. Leaflets broadly obovate, 4–40 mm long, 5–45 mm wide, margins minutely dentate or entire, upper surface glabrous, usually with a dark patch near middle, lower surface sparsely appressed-hairy, apex truncate or emarginate with a terminal tooth; stipules to c. 15 mm long, dentate to laciniate, hairy on lower surface. Inflorescence 2–5-flowered; peduncle 0.5–2.5 cm long, shorter than subtending petiole. Flowers on pedicels to c. 1 mm long; calyx 2.5–3 mm long, teeth equal to or shorter than tube; corolla yellow; standard 4–5 mm long; wings shorter than keel. Pods with 3–7 coils, cylindric or subglobose, 5–7 mm long, 4–7 mm diam., glabrous, spiny; coil edge broad, with 3 grooves; face with 5–8 radial veins; veins faint, anastomosing; marginal vein grooved, separated from submarginal veins by grooves; spines 13–15 on each side of coil, to 4 mm long, curved over sides of coil; seeds 5–8, to c. 3 mm long, yellow. Flowers mainly Sep.–Jan.