Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia (Martyn) Arcang. (syn. Medicago xvaria Martyn)

Taxonomy: Fam. Fabaceae// Genus: Medicago // Species: Medicago sativa L.// Nothosubspecies: Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia (Martyn) Arcang.

Determined according to the botanical keys provided in Flora Europaea (Tutin et al., 1968) as the hybrid between M. falcata and M. sativa (M. xvaria Martyn). In The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: ILDIS World Database of Legumes, 2010) this taxon is accepted as Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia (Martyn) Arcang.

Lifeform: Perennial. Hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Native from Caucasus to Central Asia and Iran; introduced elsewhere according to the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew). Also native to parts of Europe and Turkey according to The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: ILDIS World Database of Legumes, 2010). In the Osogovo region it is found in the vicinity of village of Beli, where the distribution range of the two parental forms overlaps.

Habitat:  Found in open habitats- dry grassland/ hill pastures, alongside roads.

Flowering period:  Late spring – summer: MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG.

References:

Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia. The Euro+Med PlantBase. Source: ILDIS World Database of Legumes 2010. (copyright © ILDIS). Published on the Internet http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=72060&PTRefFk=8500000 [Accessed 14.07.2022].

Medicago × varia Martyn. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:506488-1 [Accessed 14.07.2022].

Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1968). Flora Europaea. Volume 2: Rosaceae to Umbelliferae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.