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ISSN : 1226-9999(Print)
ISSN : 2287-7851(Online)
Korean J. Environ. Biol. Vol.44 No.3 pp.235-240
DOI : https://doi.org/10.11626/KJEB.2026.44.3.235

First record of an alien plant, Medicago arabica(Fabaceae) from Korea

Jung-Hyun Kim*, Seong Won Lee1, Mi-Hee Kim2, Sunhee Sim3, Gi-Heum Nam4, Hong-Gu Kang5
Korean Wild Plant Institute, Gimpo 10067, Republic of Korea
1The Society for Korean Peninsula Plant, Ulsan 44958, Republic of Korea
2Institute of Biological Ecology and Nature Research, Goyang 10305, Republic of Korea
3Biodiversity Conservation Research Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
4Climate Change and Environmental Biology Research Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
5NATURING Inc., Seoul 04797, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding author Jung-Hyun Kim Tel. 031-987-0653 E-mail. kimjh4065@hanmail.net

Contribution to Environmental Biology


▪ This first record of Medicago arabica in Korea provides a baseline for future studies of the ecology of the species and of its habitat.


29 July 2026 8 August 2026 24 August 2026

Abstract


Medicago arabica (L.) Huds., a species native to the Mediterranean region, is newly recorded from Busan-si and Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. It is readily distinguished from the other Medicago species in Korea by its creeping stems and trifoliate leaves, whose leaflets are marked with dark purple to black spots. Its occurrence along roadsides suggests introduction through landscaping or road construction, although the exact pathway remains unknown. The species has also been reported from the USA, Costa Rica, southern South America, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, the Alps, the Baltic States, Sweden, and Ireland, but the ecological risk it poses has not yet been assessed. Like many other Medicago species, M. arabica is rich in diverse saponins, which have potential applications as antimicrobial agents in agriculture and medicine. This study provides a detailed morphological description, a taxonomic key to related taxa, voucher specimen data, photographs, and a distribution map of its habitat.


alien plant , first record , Medicago arabica , Fabaceae

초록

    1. INTRODUCTION

    Medicago L. is a member of the legume family Fabaceae (Leguminosae), subfamily Papilionoideae, tribe Trifoliae, subtribe Trigonellinae (Small 1989). The genus consists of 83-87 species of shrubs and herbaceous plants, which have a geographical distribution from the Mediterranean region to central Asia (Lackey 1981;Wei and Vincent 2010;Woods and Orcutt 2017;Choi 2024). This genus is characterized by flowers exhibiting a unique explosive pollination mechanism (Small 2011;Djafri-Bouallag et al. 2019). In Korea, five species in the genus Medicago are reported; M. lupulina L., M. minima (L.) Bartal., M. polymorpha L., M. ruthenica (L.) Trautv., and M. sativa L. (Park 1997;Kim et al. 2018;Choi 2024;Kang et al. 2025;Son et al. 2025). Among them, M. ruthenica is the only native species in Korea (Son et al. 2025), and the other four taxa are alien species (Park 1997;Kim et al. 2018;Choi 2024;Kang et al. 2025).

    Recently, unrecorded alien plants continue to be reported in Korea (Hong et al. 2024;Kang et al. 2024;Lee et al. 2024;Jang et al. 2025;Kim et al. 2025a;Kim et al. 2025b;Lee et al. 2025). During a plant diversity field survey on the Korean Peninsula, an unrecorded alien plant, M. arabica was found in roadsides in Busan-si and Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea.

    Here we report the first occurrence of the M. arabica in Korea. The Korean name is ‘Eol-ruk-gae-ja-ri, based on the leaves marked with dark purple to black spots. We provide precise description, taxonomic key to Korean Medicago species, voucher specimen data, photographs, and distribution map of its habitat (Figs. 1-3).

    2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

    We collected 15 fresh samples of M. arabica and multiple voucher specimens. By referring to the relevant protologues, monographs, flora, and checklist (Hudson 1762;Heyn 1959;Osada, 1989;Wei and Vincent 2010;Kim et al. 2018;Choi 2024;Kang et al. 2025;Son et al. 2025), we determined five Korean congeneric taxa for examination. Photographs in the field were captured by using a digital camera (Body: Nikon D750, Tokyo, Japan; Lens: Nikon 60mm f/2.8D, Tokyo, Japan). Measurements of the morphological characters were performed by using digital Vernier calipers(CD-20AX; Mitutoyo, Sakado, Japan), and data derived from field notes. All voucher specimens were deposited at the herbarium of National Institute of Biological Resources(KB).

    3. TAXONOMIC TREATMENT

    Medicago arabica (L.) Huds., Fl. Angl. 288, 1762; Medicago polymorpha var. arabica L., Sp. Pl. 2: 780, 1753. - TYPE: without data (lectotype: Morison, Pl. Hist. Univ. 2: 154, 1680; Lectotypified by Heyn, Bull. Res. Council Israel, Sect. D, Bot. 7: 167, 1959).

    Medicago arabica (L.) Medik., Vorles. Churpfälz. Phys.-Ökon. Ges. 2: 386, 1787.

    Medicago arabica subsp. inermis (L.) Huds. subsp. inermis Ricker, U.S.D.A. Bur. Pl. Industr. Bull. 267: 33, 1913.

    Description. Herbs, annual, hermaphroditic. Stems procumbent or ascending, green, basally branched, slightly 4-angular, 20-60 cm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with appressed hairs. Leaves alternate; stipules triangular or ovate-lanceolate, 5-10 mm long, margins irregularly laciniate or deeply dentate; petiole slender, green, 1-6 cm long; leaflets subsessile; blade of leaflets obcordate to obovate, 1-3.2×0.7-2.5 cm, apex rounded or emarginated, base broadly cuneate, margins distally serrulate, both surfaces glabrous or slightly pubescent, usually adaxially dark purple to black spotted, prominently veined. Racemes head-like, 2-5-flowered; peduncle slender, shorter than subtending petiole, pubescent with white hairs; bracts triangular or acute to lanceolate, ca. 1 mm long, pedicels longer than or equal to bract. Flowers bisexual, 4-5 mm long; calyx deeply 5-lobed, 2-3 mm long, calyx lobes narrowly lanceolate, slightly longer than or as long as tube; apex acuminate; petals yellow; standard broadly obovate, apex emarginate; wings narrowly obovate, apex obtuse, base auriculate, clawed, claw shorter than lamina; keel clawed; pistil 1; ovary linear-oblong, glabrous, stipitate; style filiform, glabrous; stigma terminal. Legumes tan or brown at maturity, cylindric to globose, 3-7 times spirally coiled, 4-7 mm wide, reticulately veined, with spines hooked at tip. Seeds 1-3 per legume, yellowish brown, oblong-elliptic, ca. 2.5 mm long, smooth.

    Korean name. Eol-ruk-gae-ja-ri (얼룩개자리).

    Flowering. April to June.

    Fruiting. May to July.

    Origin. Mediterranean region.

    Introduced. USA, Costa Rica, southern South America, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Alps, Baltic States, Sweden, and Ireland (Christenhusz et al. 2024;POWO 2026), Korea (Busan-si and Gyeongsangnam-do).

    Specimens examined. KOREA. Busan-si: Sasang-gu, Samnak-dong, 5 May 2026, Jung-Hyun Kim KIMJH26076, KIMJH26077, KIMJH26078, KIMJH26079, KIMJH26080, KIMJH26081, KIMJH26082 (KB). Gyeongsangnam-do: Jinju-si, Daegok-myeon, Waryong-ri, 1 May 2026, Jung-Hyun Kim KIMJH26064, KIMJH26065, KIMJH26066, KIMJH26067, KIMJH26068, KIMJH26069, KIMJH26070, KIMJH26071 (KB).

    Key to the species of Medicago in Korea

    • 1. Legumes not spirally coiled ................................ M. ruthenica

    • 1. Legumes spirally coiled.

      • 2. Stems erect to ascending; flowers 0.6–1.1 cm long; petals reddish purple or bluish purple ........ M. sativa

      • 2. Stems procumbent or ascending; flowers 2–6 mm long; petals yellow.

        • 3. Legumes without spines, reniform, 1-seeded; flowers 10–30 per inflorescence ........ M. lupulina

        • 3. Legumes spiny, spirally coiled, with several seeds; flowers 2–8 per inflorescence.

          • 4. Plants pubescent with spreading hairs; legumes globose, less than 4 mm wide ................................ M. minima

          • 4. Plants glabrous or sparsely pubescent with appressed hairs; legumes discoid, more than 4 mm wide.

            • 5. Petiole not more than 2× as long as peduncle, leaflets without dark purple to black spots ................................ M. polymorpha

            • 5. Petiole more than 2–5× as long as peduncle, leaflets with a dark purple to black spots ................................ M. arabica

    Note.Medicago arabica was first described as M. polymorpha var. arabica by Carl von Linnaeus in the second volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753. The lectotype for M. arabica is an illustration from Morison’s Plantarum Historiae Universalis Oxoniensis (volume 2, section 2, table 15, figure 12; 1680). This typification was formally designated in 1959 by botanist Heyn in Bulletin of the Research Council of Israel (section D, Bot. 7) (Heyn 1959).

    In this study, we report the alien plant M. arabica for the first time in Korea. It was initially detected in 10th Busan biodiversity exploration in 2021 and confirmed again during the flowering and fruiting seasons of 2025 and 2026, after which it was also found in Gyeongsangnam-do in 2026. This species is distributed along roadsides of open habitats at low-elevation areas. One population (Busan-si) was composed of 30 individuals and the other (Gyeongsangnam-do) was composed of 50 individuals. The population has been observed since 2021 by the authors. According to continuous observation of the populations, the number of individuals is being maintained. Therefore, it is supposed the species might have adapted themselves to the local environment and the population would probably be expanded in the future. Moreover, since the species has successfully naturalized in several temperate regions worldwide, continuous monitoring is recommended to evaluate its establishment and potential spread in Korea.

    This species is found under the trees (e.g., Salix babylonica L. and Celtis sinensis Pers.), and together with other herbaceous plants, Equisetum arvense L., Humulus japonicas Siebold & Zucc., Phytolacca americana L., Cerastium glomeratum Thuill., Stellaria aquatica (L.) Scop., Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., Trifolium repens L., Vicia sativa subsp. nigra (L.) Ehrh., Vicia tetrasperma (L.) Schreb., Oxalis dillenii Jacq., Geranium carolinianum L., Trigonotis peduncularis (Trevir.) Steven ex Palib., Galium spurium L., Veronica persica Poir., Artemisia indica Willd., Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers., Hemistepta lyrata Bunge, Solidago altissima L., Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, Youngia japonica subsp. elstonii (Hochr.) Babc. & Stebbins, Carex neurocarpa Maxim., Bromus catharticus Vahl, Festuca arundinacea Schreb., and Poa annua L., so far.

    CRediT authorship contribution statement

    JH Kim: Investigation, Data curation, Writing-Review and editing. SW Lee: Investigation. MH Kim: Investigation. S Sim: Resources. GH Nam: Project administration. HG Kang: Investigation.

    Declaration of Competing Interest

    The authors declare no conflicts of interset.

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    We thank Mrs. Ji-Hyun Kim from the Busan Council for Sustainable Development for her assistance with this work. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR), funded by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) of the Republic of Korea (NIBR202625101).

    Figure

    KJEB-44-3-235_F1.jpg

    Voucher specimen of Medicago arabica (L.) Huds.

    KJEB-44-3-235_F2.jpg

    Photographs of Medicago arabica (L.) Huds. A. Habitat, B. root, C. stem, D. leaves, E. stipules, F. flower, G. peduncle and calyx, H. legumes, and I. seeds.

    KJEB-44-3-235_F3.jpg

    Distribution map of Medicago arabica (L.) Huds. in Korea.

    Table

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    Vol. 40 No. 4 (2022.12)

    Journal Abbreviation 'Korean J. Environ. Biol.'
    Frequency quarterly
    Doi Prefix 10.11626/KJEB.
    Year of Launching 1983
    Publisher Korean Society of Environmental Biology
    Indexed/Tracked/Covered By

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    Any inquiries concerning Journal (all manuscripts, reviews, and notes) should be addressed to the managing editor of the Korean Society of Environmental Biology. Yongeun Kim,
    Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea.
    E-mail: kjeb@koseb.org
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