Medicago sativa (Alfalfa)

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Medicago sativa L.

Alfalfa, lucerne

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Medicago	From Latin medica, “alfalfa, lucerne,” in turn from Greek μηδική (πόα), “Median (grass).’Latin medica ‘alfalfa, lucerne,’ from Greek: median μηδική (πόα), “grass”
Species	sativa	Means “that which is sown,” indicating the plant is a cultivated one

About plant names...

Alfalfa (or lucerne outside of the US) probably first appeared in south-central Asia, but nobody is certain because its cultivation goes back at least 500 years BCE. It provides excellent pasturage for cattle, hogs, and sheep. Alfalfa has long since naturalized and spread through Europe, Australia, and North and South America. North America alone produces 41%—29 million acres—of cultivated alfalfa annually. The wild variety appears in fields, roadsides, and other man-made or disturbed habitats.

Plants: Low-lying, multiply branched, 12-35" (30-90 cm).

Leaves: Leaflets resemble those of clover, alternate, occurring in triplets, narrowly oval or obovate, toothed at the ends. Each middle leaflet bends upward, and is up to 1" (3 cm) long.

Flowers: Purple (sometimes yellow) flowers form rounded balls or cylinders up to 1½" (4 cm) around. Individual flowers are ¼-½" (6.3-12 mm) in size.

Fruits: Seed pods are curved to spiral, with 3-8 seeds per pod.

Edibility: Alfalfa sprouts are popular because they are high in various nutrients, including calcium and vitamins A, C, E, and K₄. They should be thoroughly rinsed to avoid salmonella and E. coli, and the FDA recommends that children and the elderly avoid eating them due to possible bacterial contamination. Like other foods high in vitamin K, alfalfa sprouts should not be consumed by people on warfarin, a blood thinner.

Medical: From WebMD: “Alfalfa is an herb. People use the leaves, sprouts, and seeds to make medicine. Alfalfa is used for kidney conditions, bladder and prostate conditions, and to increase urine flow. It is also used for high cholesterol, asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, upset stomach, and a bleeding disorder called thrombocytopenic purpura. People also take alfalfa as a source of vitamins A, C, E, and K₄; and minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorous, and iron.”

Online References:

The New England Wildflower Society’s GoBotany site

Swcoloradowildflowers.com

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Hort.purdue.edu A very detailed article.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 36

Medicago sativa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.