Medicago

''Medicago'' is a genus of flowering plants, commonly known as medick or burclover, in the legume family (Fabaceae). It contains at least 87 species and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean basin. The best-known member of the genus is alfalfa (''M. sativa''), an important forage crop, and the genus name is based on the Latin name for that plant, , from el, μηδική (πόα) Median (grass). Most members of the genus are low, creeping herbs, resembling clover, but with burs (hence the common name). However, alfalfa grows to a height of 1 meter, and tree medick (''M. arborea'') is a shrub. Members of the genus are known to produce bioactive compounds such as medicarpin (a flavonoid) and medicagenic acid (a triterpenoid saponin). Chromosome numbers in ''Medicago'' range from 2''n'' = 14 to 48.

The species '' Medicago truncatula'' is a model legume due to its relatively small stature, small genome (450–500 Mbp), short generation time (about 3 months), and ability to reproduce both by outcrossing and selfing.

Comprehensive descriptions of the genus are Lesinš and Lesinš 1979 and Small and Jomphe 1989. Major collections are SARDI (Australia), USDA-GRIN (United States), ICARDA (Syria), and INRA (France).

Evolution

''Medicago'' diverged from '' Glycine'' (soybean) about 53–55 million years ago (in the early Eocene), from '' Lotus'' (deervetch) 49–51 million years ago (also in the Eocene), and from ''Trigonella'' 10–22 million years ago (in the Miocene).

Ecological interactions with other organisms

Symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia

Béna ''et al.'' (2005) constructed a molecular phylogeny of 23 '' Sinorhizobium'' strains and tested the symbiotic ability of six 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 lupulina'' and '' Medicago truncatula'') have been used as forage crops.

Insect herbivores

''Medicago'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the common swift, flame, latticed heath, lime-speck pug, nutmeg, setaceous Hebrew character, and turnip moths and case-bearers of the genus '' Coleophora'', including ''C. frischella'' (recorded on ''M. sativa'') and ''C. fuscociliella'' (feeds exclusively on ''Medicago'' spp.).

Species

This list is compiled from:

Section Buceras

Subsection Deflexae

* '' Medicago retrorsa'' (Boiss.) E. Small

Subsection Erectae

* '' Medicago arenicola'' (Huber-Mor.) E. Small
* '' Medicago astroites'' (Fisch. & Mey.) Trautv.
* '' Medicago carica'' (Huber-Mor.) E. Small
* '' Medicago crassipes'' (Boiss.) E. Small
* '' Medicago fischeriana'' (Ser.) Trautv.
* '' Medicago halophila'' (Boiss.) E. Small
* '' Medicago heldreichii'' (Boiss.) E. Small
* '' Medicago medicaginoides'' (Retz.) E. Small
* '' Medicago monantha'' (C. A. Meyer) Trautv.
* '' Medicago orthoceras'' (Kar. & Kir.) Trautv.
* '' Medicago pamphylica'' (Huber-Mor. & Sirjaev) E. Small
* '' Medicago persica'' (Boiss.) E. Small
* '' Medicago phrygia'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small
* '' Medicago polyceratia'' (L.) Trautv.
* '' Medicago rigida'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small

Subsection Isthmocarpae

* '' Medicago rhytidiocarpa'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small
* '' Medicago isthmocarpa'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small

Subsection Reflexae

* '' Medicago monspeliaca'' (L.) Trautv.

Section Carstiensae

* '' Medicago carstiensis'' Wulf.

Section Dendrotelis

* ''Medicago arborea'' L.
* '' Medicago citrina'' (Font Quer) Greuter
* '' Medicago strasseri'' Greuter, Matthas & Risse

Section Geocarpa

* '' Medicago hypogaea'' E. Small

Section Heynianae

* '' Medicago heyniana'' Greuter

Section Hymenocarpos

* '' Medicago radiata'' L.

Section Lunatae

* '' Medicago biflora'' (Griseb.) E. Small
* '' Medicago brachycarpa'' M. Bieb.
* '' Medicago huberi'' E. Small
* '' Medicago rostrata'' (Boiss. & Bal.) E. Small

Section Lupularia

* ''Medicago lupulina'' L.
* '' Medicago secundiflora'' Durieu

Section Medicago

* '' Medicago cancellata'' M. Bieb.
* '' Medicago daghestanica'' Rupr.
* '' Medicago hybrida'' (Pourr.) Trautv.
* '' Medicago marina'' L.
* '' Medicago papillosa'' Boiss.
** ''M. p. macrocarpa''
** ''M. p. papillosa''
* '' Medicago pironae'' Vis.
* '' Medicago prostrata'' Jacq.
** ''M. p. prostrata''
** ''M. p. pseudorupestris''
* '' Medicago rhodopea'' Velen.
* '' Medicago rupestris'' M. Bieb
* '' Medicago sativa'' L. (alfalfa)
** ''M. s. caerulea''
** ''M. s. falcata ''(''Medicago falcata'')
*** ''M. s. f.'' var. ''falcata''
*** ''M. s. f. ''var. ''viscosa''
** ''M. s. glomerata''
** ''M. s. sativa''
* '' Medicago saxatilis'' M. Bieb
* '' Medicago suffruticosa'' Ramond ex DC.
**''M. s. leiocarpa''
**''M. s. suffruticosa''

Section Orbiculares

* '' Medicago orbicularis'' (L.) Bart.

Section Platycarpae

* '' Medicago archiducis-nicolai'' Sirjaev
* '' Medicago cretacea'' M. Bieb.
* '' Medicago edgeworthii'' Sirjaev
* '' Medicago ovalis'' (Boiss.) Sirjaev
* '' Medicago playtcarpa'' (L.) Trautv.
* '' Medicago plicata'' (Boiss.) Sirjaev
* '' Medicago popovii'' (E. Kor.) Sirjaev
* '' Medicago ruthenica'' (L.) Ledebour

Subsection Rotatae

* '' Medicago blancheana'' Boiss.
* '' Medicago noeana'' Boiss.
* '' Medicago rugosa'' Desr.
* '' Medicago rotata'' Boiss.
* '' Medicago scutellata'' (L.) Miller
* '' Medicago shepardii'' Post

Section Spirocarpos

Subsection Intertextae

* '' Medicago ciliaris'' (L.) Krocker
* ''Medicago granadensis'' Willd.
* '' Medicago intertexta'' (L.) Miller
* '' Medicago muricoleptis'' Tin.

Subsection Leptospireae

* '' Medicago arabica'' (L.) Huds.
* '' Medicago coronata'' (L.) Bart.
* '' Medicago disciformis'' DC.
* '' Medicago laciniata'' (L.) Miller
* '' Medicago lanigera'' Winkl. & Fedtsch.
* '' Medicago laxispira'' Heyn
* '' Medicago minima'' (L.) Bart.
* '' Medicago polymorpha'' L.
* '' Medicago praecox'' DC.
* '' Medicago sauvagei'' Nègre
* '' Medicago tenoreana'' Ser.

Subsection Pachyspireae

* '' Medicago constricta'' Durieu
* '' Medicago doliata'' Carmign.
* '' Medicago italica'' (Miller) Fiori
* '' Medicago lesinsii'' E. Small
* ''Medicago littoralis'' Rohde ex Lois.
* '' Medicago murex'' Willd.
* '' Medicago rigidula'' (L.) All.
* '' Medicago rigiduloides'' E. Small
* ''Medicago sinskiae'' Uljanova
* '' Medicago soleirolii'' Duby
* '' Medicago sphaerocarpos'' Bertol.
* '' Medicago syriaca'' E. Small
* '' Medicago truncatula'' Gaertn.
* '' Medicago turbinata'' (L.) All.

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved:

* ''Medicago agropyretorum'' Vassilcz.
* ''Medicago alatavica'' Vassilcz.

* ''Medicago caucasica'' Vassilcz.
* ''Medicago cyrenaea'' Maire & Weiller
* ''Medicago difalcata'' Sinskaya

* ''Medicago grossheimii'' Vassilcz.
* ''Medicago gunibica'' Vassilcz.
* ''Medicago hemicoerulea'' Sinskaya

* ''Medicago karatschaica'' (A. Heller) A. Heller
* ''Medicago komarovii'' Vassilcz.

* ''Medicago meyeri'' Gruner

* ''Medicago polychroa'' Grossh.

* ''Medicago schischkinii'' Sumnev.
* ''Medicago talyschensis'' Latsch.

* ''Medicago transoxana'' Vassilcz.

* ''Medicago tunetana'' (Murb.) A.W. Hill
* ''Medicago vardanis' Vassilcz.
* ''Medicago virescens'' Grossh.

Recent molecular phylogenic analyses of ''Medicago'' indicate that the sections and subsections defined by Small & Jomphe, as outlined above, are generally polyphyletic. However, with minor revisions sections and subsections could be rendered monophyletic.

Notes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q159549

Plant models
Fabaceae genera