Medicago marina L.
A perennial which is covered in dense silvery-white to yellowish woolly hairs. Stems decumbent or ascending, 30 to 50 cm long; covered in dense foliage. Leaves trifoliate; leaflets 4 to 9 mm long, obovate, toothed at the apex. Stipules entire or toothed. Flowers pale yellow to orange-yellow, 6 to 10 mm long; in rounded clusters of from 5 to 10. Pedicels 2 to 10 mm long. Seed pods covered in dense woolly hairs, more or less cylindrical, 4 to 5 mm diameter; spirally coiled with 2 to 3 turns, and with a small hole at the centre. Spines short, conical, up to 2 mm long.
Local: Rare in Gibraltar. Found mainly on the East Side sand slopes.
Global: Found along the Atlantic coasts of western Europe, the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands.
Flowers from March, April to May (June).
Grows on coastal sands and dunes.