Medicago polymorpha

Californian bur clover, toothed medick, toothed bur clover

A clover with weak stems, trifoliate leaves and inconspicuous yellow flowers. Thrives in climates with mild winters and summer drought. An important pasture plant, the dry fruits constituting a valuable concentrated fodder for pasture animals during the dry season. Not suitable for sheep pasture as the fruits become entangled in the wool. For permanent pasture a combination of Cyanodon dactylon and Medicago hispida has been very successful; the grass furnishes pasturage during the warm months and the clover provides pasturage during the winter and spring months.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh aerial part,

Brazil

21.4

20.1

14.0

13.1

2.3

50.5

88

Fresh aerial part,

Chile

20.9

26.7

21.4

14.5

3.6

33.8

1.62

0.47

315

Seeds, Chile

94.1

17.4

38.6

7.4

2.5

34.1

1.83

0.19

"