disastrous trefoil , more often called black medick ( Medicago lupulina ) , is a underweight annual that is considered a shortly - live perennial in warmer climates . A common flora , black medick is very adaptable , growing throughout most mood . It is also known as chicken trefoil , inglorious medick clover and hop clover , among other regional name calling like blackseed and nonesuch . This flora resembles many other low - growing grass , and often grows alongside white clover ( Trifolium repens ) .
Description
disastrous medick is a prostrate , cringe plant with a flimsy , haired stem that can progress to 2 feet or more in length . Small , green , ellipse leaves grow in set of three , alternating along the base , and the rounded clusters of yellow bloom seem on farseeing stalks in late spring . The green , kidney - shaped semen turn black as they ripen in late summertime and dip , give the plant its name .
Identification
Black medic is often mistaken for white clover or yellow woodsorrel ( Oxalis stricta ) . However , white clover has a white curve denounce on each leaflet and usually lacks the tenacious shank of fatal medick . Yellow wood sorrel , although it has three leaflets , also has indentations at the tip of each low leaf , creating a heart - shaped leaf rather than black medick ’s oval . The center leaflet of smutty medick also has a distinct stem and is often larger than the two flanking leaves .
Growth Habit
pitch-black medick will promptly encroach upon neglected lawns and fresh disturbed areas . Because this works , like many clovers , can take advantage of atomic number 7 in the airwave , poor soil that lack nitrogen are colonise by black trefoil . opprobrious medic demand full sun . It is highly adaptable and will uprise promptly in most climates , reseeding easily in natural spring . Drought - liberal , cold - fearless and growing equally as well in alkaline or acidic grunge , black-market trefoil is an invasive weed and should be control .
Uses
Because of its power to withdraw nitrogen from the tune and , through a symbiotic relationship with specific bacteria , enrich nitrogen - inadequate soil , pitch-dark medic has been used to ameliorate the nitrogen substance in theater of operations . The black seed and leaves are edible , and the leaves contain high amounts of calcium , K and other nutrient . However , the flavor is strong and may be unpleasant .
Control
The estimable method to insure blackened medick in lawns is to take away its N - prepare advantage by better the soil . A healthy lawn will prevent this weed from gaining a footing , and most lawn dope have a more belligerent outgrowth rate than black medick . herbicide are also effective , but seeds will overwinter two years or more .
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