Fabaceae

Burclover

Medicago polymorpha L.

Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Medicago

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Burclover (Medicago polymorpha) — FlowerPhoto: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (24)

Arabic: فصة متعددة الأشكال
arz: فصه متعددة الاشكال
Bulgarian: Изменчива люцерна
Chinese: 南苜蓿, 苜蓿, 多型苜蓿, 小瘤苜蓿, 目齐头, 金花菜, 黄花草子
Czech: Tolice mnohotvará
Dutch: Ruige rupsklaver
English: Burclover, Toothed medick, Bur clover, Bur-clover, California burclover, Burr medick
Finnish: Piikkimailanen
French: Luzerne polymorphe
Hebrew: אספסת מצויה
hsb: Kosmata šlinčina
Igbo: Bur clover, Bur-clover, Burclover, Burr medick, California burclover, Toothed medick
Japanese: ウマゴヤシ, うまごやし
lah: میݨا
nv: Tłʼoh azeeʼ
Persian: یونجه خاردار
Punjabi: ਮੈਣਾ
Slovenian: Mnogolična meteljka
Spanish: Carreton cadillo, Carretón cadillo, Hualputra, Tribulillo
Swedish: Tagglusern
Ukrainian: Люцерна мінлива
Urdu: مینا
Vietnamese: Linh lăng lá khía răng cưa
Welsh: Maglys eddïog

Synonyms

Medica apiculata (Willd.) Greene
Medica bimuricata Moench
Medica denticulata (Willd.) Greene
Medica pentacycla (DC.) Bubani
Medica polymorpha (L.) Scop.
Medica reticulata (Benth.) Bubani
Medicago aculeata Gaertn.
Medicago apiculata Willd.
Medicago apiculata var. confinis W.D.J.Koch
Medicago apiculata var. legionensis Gand.
Medicago berteroana Moris
Medicago bimuricata Retz. ex Steud.
Medicago canescens Graham
Medicago caspia Gruner ex Boiss.
Medicago caspica Jacq. ex Spreng.
Medicago catalonica Urb.
Medicago ciliaris Savi
Medicago confinis (W.D.J.Koch) J.M.Black
Medicago conica Schkuhr
Medicago cyrenaea Maire & Weiller
Medicago cyrenaica Maire & Weiller
Medicago denticulata Willd.
Medicago denticulata Boiss.
Medicago denticulata subsp. lappacea (Desr.) Ball
Medicago denticulata subsp. polymorpha (L.) Pit. & Proust
Medicago denticulata var. apiculata (Willd.) Moris
Medicago denticulata var. brevispina Benth.
Medicago denticulata var. caspica (Jacq. ex Spreng.) Grossh.
Medicago denticulata var. ciliaris DC.
Medicago denticulata var. confinis (W.D.J.Koch) Batt.
Medicago denticulata var. lappacea W.D.J.Koch
Medicago denticulata var. macracantha Webb & Berthel.
Medicago denticulata var. macrocarpa Moris & De Not.
Medicago denticulata var. oligocarpa Rouy
Medicago denticulata var. pentacycla (DC.) Boiss.
Medicago denticulata var. reticulata (Benth.) Batt.
Medicago denticulata var. tuberculata Moris
Medicago denticulata var. vulgaris Benth.
Medicago distans Poir.
Medicago echinata Boucher

and 124 more.

Flowers

In flower: February to May (from 1,582 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Annual, Perennial
In the US and Canada: Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Ina Siebert, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Gianni Del Bufalo bygdb, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Ixitixel, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: monkeyjodey, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: monkeyjodey, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Vítor Jorge, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Medicago

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.