Stems 20–70 cm. Leaves 30–70 × 10–20 mm; stipules linear, 1–2 mm; leaflets (9–)19–37, blades elliptical or ovate, leaf­lets of larger leaves 3.5–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm. Peduncles 1–3 cm in flower, 3–7 cm in fruit. Heads 2–5-flowered, 10 mm diam.; bract shorter than flowers, 5–9-foliolate. Pedicels 0–1 mm. Flowers: calyx 3.5–5 mm, lobes 1.5–2.5 mm, less than or equaling tube length; corolla white or pink, 6–9 mm. Loments compressed, constricted between seeds, 12–25 × 2–2.7 mm; segments 3–7, elliptic-oblong, 2.8–3.5 mm; beaks straight, sometimes hooked at tip, 2–5 mm. Seeds 1.5–2 × 1 mm.

Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, waste places.
Elevation: 10–100 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; Calif., Md., Mass., N.Y., s Europe (Mediterranean region), sw Asia, n Africa.

Discussion

Subspecies sativus was previously cultivated for fod­der in the flora area.

North American members of the species are subsp. sativus, which has fruits 12–25 mm, straight, without narrow cylindrical constrictions between seeds, and beaks 2–5 mm and straight, while subsp. isthmocarpus (Cosson) Dostál has fruits 20–40 mm, curved, long narrow cylindrical segments between seeds, and beaks 10+ mm and curved. Subspecies isthmocarpus has been reported from California, but the specimens seen are subsp. sativus.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.