toothed medick; bur clover
A leguminous plant (Medicago polymorpha) with bur-like seed pods, often used as fodder. The Japanese name literally means 'horse fattening'.
In spring, bur clover blooms with yellow flowers along the roadside.
Colloquial use for white clover (Trifolium repens), though 白詰草 (しろつめくさ) is the standard term. May cause confusion.
See also: シロツメクサ
As a child, I made crowns out of white clover and played.
Standard term for white clover; 馬肥やし is a colloquial synonym that can also refer to bur clover.
black medic; black hay; black nonsuch; blackweed
Standard kanji spelling for the plant name, literally 'horse fattening'.
Chinese-derived kanji spelling; rarely used in modern Japanese. Also read もくしゅく or まごやし.
Katakana spelling often used in botanical contexts or for emphasis.
Irregular okurigana variant; less common but recognized.
Literally “horse-fattener,” from 馬 and 肥やし. The plant was so named for its use as fodder for horses.