Medicago truncatula

Medicago truncatula is a small forage legume that has been chosen as a model organism for legume biology. It has a small diploid genome, is self-fertile, has a rapid generation time and prolific seed production, it is also amenable to genetic transformation. The genome of M. truncatula is currently being sequenced.

M. truncatula can from symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia Sinorhizobium meliloti and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Model plant Arabidopsis thaliana does not form either symbiosis, making M. truncatula an important tool for studying these processes.

It is an important forage species in Australia.

Common names: Barrel Medic

External links

• The Medicago truncatula Consortium