Common name
English: Alfalfa
German: Saat-Luzerne
Mandarin: 紫苜蓿 (zi mu xu)
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae (2653)
Phylum: Tracheophyta (2566)
Class: Magnoliopsida (2162)
Order: Fabales (241)
Family: Fabaceae (241)(family description)
Genus: Medicago (8)
Epithet: sativa L. (6)
Synonyms: Medica sativa (L.) Mill., Medica sativa Lam., Medicago afganica (Bordere) Vassilcz., Medicago falcata Lam., Medicago roborovskii Vassilcz., Medicago vera Kirschl.
falcata => sickle shaped
sativa => sown, planted, cultivated, not wild
vera => true
Characteristics
Climate: temperate
Habit: herb
Flower colour: blue, purple, violet
External links
Check for Medicago sativa at
World Flora Online, GBIF or IPNI- [413] International Legume Database & Information Service
- [1455] Medicago sativa - Flora of China @ efloras.org
- [1478] Medicago sativa - Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé: Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz
- [1574] Medicago sativa - Plants For A Future
- [1803] Medicago sativa - Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)