CR

Medicago citrina

DecliningCREUCREUCREUCREU

Overview

Medicago arborea is a flowering plant species in the pea and bean family, Fabaceae. Common names include moon trefoil, shrub medick, alfalfa arborea, and tree medick.

Medicago citrina faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion across its limited Mediterranean range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances, while overgrazing by livestock has degraded many of its remaining coastal grassland habitats. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns and increased drought frequency in its already arid native environment.

Threat summary

Habitat

Medicago citrina inhabits dry coastal grasslands, rocky slopes, and Mediterranean scrubland environments, typically growing in calcareous soils with good drainage. The species is adapted to arid conditions and is found in open areas with sparse vegetation cover at low to moderate elevations.

Rocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in FABACEAE

VU

Lonchocarpus crassispermus

Declining
CR

Machaerium orthocarpum

Declining
VU

Senna saeri

Declining
VU

Senna viciifolia

Declining

Threatened in Spain

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Lyophyllum deliberatum

Unknown
VU

Hemicycla invernicata

Stable

Frequently asked questions

Why is Medicago citrina classified as Critically Endangered?
Medicago citrina is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Medicago citrina faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion across its limited Mediterranean range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances, while overgrazing by livestock has degraded many of its remaining coastal grassland habitats. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns and increased drought frequency in its already arid native environment.
Where does Medicago citrina live?
Medicago citrina occurs in Spain. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Medicago citrina?
The main threats to Medicago citrina are 11.2, 8.1, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.