Black Medick, Medicago lupulina

Description

Black Medick, also known as Hop Clover, is a grassland annual plant that produces small, yellow, clover-like flower heads. Mature plants measure from 15 to 80 cm in height, with fine stems often lying flat at the beginning of growth and later erecting. The leaves are compound, each with three, hairy oval leaflets, that become toothed near the tip. The yellow flowers of Black Medick are very small and grouped in tight bunches. The fruit is a single-seeded pod that doesn't open upon maturation, but hardens and turns black when ripe. Each pod contains a single amber-colored seed. It is related to the legume and clover family. In Europe and Asia, where this plant is native, it's bitter leaves are often used as a potherb, or cooked and eaten as a side dish, much like spinach. Most people find the raw leaves too bitter to eat, preferring instead to lightly sauté or stir-fry them, or add them to soups or stews.