![](http://extadmin.ifas.ufl.edu/nwdistrictmedia/phag/2012/04/black-medic-300x200.jpg)
Escambia County Extension has had a number of calls about black medic, seen growing in fields, pastures, roadsides, and yards. This winter annual is a member of the legume family, so it is beneficial in that it will release nitrogen after its Iife cycle is completed. This plant spreads very low to the ground, and it has a tap root. Like other members of the legume family, it has three leaflets. This tidy little plant is very showy—it has a cluster of very bright yellow flowers that looks like it makes up one round, globe-like flower. It does produce seed that will turn black when they mature. It isn’t considered a major pest in pastures, so just enjoy the benefits of black medic.