Medicago sativa L.

English: Alfalfa

German: Saat-Luzerne

Mandarin: 紫苜蓿 (zi mu xu)

Kingdom: Plantae (2715)

  Phylum: Tracheophyta (2630)

    Class: Magnoliopsida (2217)

      Order: Fabales (244)

        Family: Fabaceae (244)(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

Climate: temperate

Habit: herb

Flower colour: blue, purple, violet

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)