If you have been out weeding your garden lately then you are probably familiar with Black Medic (Medicago lupulina). This creeping groundcover looks live a vine of clover and is dotted with small yellow flowers. From the bean (Fabaceae) family, Black Medic can be used as a groundcover and a cover crop and is also used as fodder for livestock.
The genus name, Medicago, derives for the Greek word for alfalfa ‘medice’ which is also a member of the genus. The species name lupulina is a Latin word for hop-like which makes reference to the strong resemblance of the Black Medic flowers to hops.
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