Sea medick, coastal medick
Sea medick is a Mediterranean species that can be found near the coast: it is tolerant of wind and salt spray. It can survive drought and will grow on most soils, even very poor and polluted soil. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. This gives Sea medick the capabilty to grow in very poor soil, like in the sand. Sea medick is very resistent to drought, it has thick leaves , covered with tiny hair, protecting it from evaporation.. These hairs give it an silvery look.
distribution of the coastal medick
This perennial can be found worldwide, but is well known in Greece and Spain and the south of France.
Coastal Medick in may.
Flowering sea medick, the silvery shine of the leaves can be seen.
Sea medick seeds
The seed of Medicago marina shows strong dormancy that prevents germination, It withstands freezing up to minus 20 for months and heating up to 100 degrees celsius Medicago marina seed dormancy is due to the presence of a hard seed coat.
source : G.S. Scippa Dormancy of Medicago marina (L.) seed, 2011
Sea medick in recipes
Sea medick is used in stew in the greace kitchen. Use it only in small amounts , it has a strong flavour.
dunes in the mediterranean coast
Some plants mange to stay alive in the dunes of mediterranean coast:Sea daffodil or Pancratium maritimum,
the Sea Medick
the Sea Holly or Eryngium maritimum,
Prickly parsnip or Echinophora spinosa,
the Sea bindweed or Calystegia soldanella,
Sea spurge or Euphorbia paralias
Sea Rocket or Cakile maritima
Common golden thistle or Scolymus hispanicus
Plants of mediterranean coast, made by Eichhorn in the Meyers Lexicon, 1897
1 French tamarix or Tamarix gallica
2 Sea spurge or Euphorbia paralias
3 Pine Spurge or Euphorbia pinea
4 morning glory or Calystegia Soldanella
5 Triticum pungens
6 Spanish broom or weaver's broom or Spartium junceum
7 mastic or Pistacia Lentiscus
8 Statice virgata
9 Sea Lavender or Statice Limonium
10 tree mellow or Lavatera arborea
11 annual seablite or Suaeda maritima
12 Malcolmia littorea
Meyers konversation lexicon
This large German encyclopedia , from 1839 to 1984, is knowadays called "the Brockhaus encyclopedia". It had the be a universal encyclopaedia meant for a broad public. The first issue started in 1839 the last appeared in 1979 , entitled Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon, with 25 volumes. On this website are shown:
cicades
calluna
Great capricorn beetle
tubeworms
brittle star
worms of the Northsea
The bottom of the wood