Taxon: Medicago sativa L.

See also subordinate taxa:

• Medicago sativa subsp. caerulea (87 accessions)
• Medicago sativa subsp. falcata (474 accessions)
• Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var. viscosa (14 accessions)
• Medicago sativa subsp. glomerata (9 accessions)
• Medicago sativa nothosubsp. hemicycla (53 accessions)
• Medicago sativa subsp. sativa (3234 accessions)
• Medicago sativa nothosubsp. tunetana (6 accessions)
• Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia (328 accessions)

Common names:

• alfalfa   (Source: World Econ Pl ) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• bastard medic   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. ×varia]) – English   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• lucerne   (Source: World Econ Pl ) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• sand lucerne   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. ×varia]) – English   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• sickle alfalfa   (Source: F Iraq ) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• sickle medic   (Source: F Iraq ) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• sickle medick   (Source: BSBI ) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• variegated alfalfa   (Source: Food Feed Crops US ) – English   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• variegated lucerne   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. ×varia]) – English   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• yellow alfalfa   (Source: Websters Dict ) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• yellow lucerne   (Source: F Iraq ) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• yellow-flower alfalfa   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – English   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• luzerne   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – French   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• luzerne bigarrée   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – French   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• luzerne de Suède   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – French   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• luzerne intermédiaire   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – French   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• luzerne jaune   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – French   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• Bastardluzerne   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – German   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• blaue Luzerne   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – German   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• Luzerne   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – German   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• Sandluzerne   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – German   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• Sichelklee   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – German   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• Sichelluzerne   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – German   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• murasaki-umagoyashi   (Source: F JapanOhwi ) – Japanese Rōmaji   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• luzerna   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – Portuguese   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• luzerna-de-sequeiro   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – Portuguese   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• alfafa-de-provença   (Source: D. Groth, p.c. 2005) – Portuguese (Brazil)   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• alfafa-falciforme   (Source: D. Groth, p.c. 2005) – Portuguese (Brazil)   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• alfafa-verdadeira   (Source: D. Groth, p.c. 2005) – Portuguese (Brazil)   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• luzerna-bastarda   (Source: D. Groth, p.c. 2005) – Portuguese (Brazil)   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• alfalfa amarilla   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – Spanish   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• alfalfa de las arenas   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – Spanish   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• alfalfa híbrida   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – Spanish   [Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• alfalfa sueca   (Source: Dict Rehm [as M. falcata]) – Spanish   [Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• mielga   (Source: Dict Rehm ) – Spanish   [Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  

More:

see MMPND for additional names in foreign scripts

Economic importance:

• Medicines: folklore   (fide CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2)
  
• Vertebrate poisons: mammals   (fide Kellerman et al.; Cooper & Johnson ed2)
  

More:

View toxicology references for Medicago sativa from FDA Poisonous Plant Database

View ethnobotanical data from Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases

View ethnobotanical data from Moerman's Native American Ethnobotany Database

Distributional range:

• AFRICA
  Northern Africa: Algeria; Libya; Morocco; Tunisia
• ASIA-TEMPERATE
  Western Asia: Afghanistan; Cyprus; Iran; Iraq; Israel [rare]; Jordan; Lebanon; Syria; Turkey
  Caucasus: Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia
  Siberia: Russian Federation - Eastern Siberia, Western Siberia
  Middle Asia: Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan
  Russian Far East: Russian Federation - Far East
  Mongolia: Mongolia
  China: China [n.]
  Eastern Asia: Korea
• ASIA-TROPICAL
  Indian Subcontinent: Pakistan
• EUROPE
  Northern Europe: Denmark; Ireland; Norway; Sweden; United Kingdom
  Middle Europe: Austria; Belgium; Czechoslovakia; Germany; Hungary; Netherlands; Poland; Switzerland
  East Europe: Belarus; Estonia; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Russian Federation - European part; Ukraine [incl. Krym]
  Southeastern Europe: Albania; Bulgaria; Former Yugoslavia; Greece; Italy; Romania
  Southwestern Europe: France; Portugal; Spain

• AFRICA
  Macaronesia: Portugal - Azores
  Northern Africa: Egypt
  Southern Africa: South Africa
• ASIA-TROPICAL
  Indian Subcontinent: India; Nepal; Sri Lanka
• AUSTRALASIA
  Australia: Australia
  New Zealand: New Zealand
• EUROPE
  Northern Europe: Finland
• NORTHERN AMERICA (Check conservation status in U.S. & Canada in NatureServe Explorer database)
  United States
• SOUTHERN AMERICA
  Brazil: Brazil [s.]
  Western South America: Ecuador; Peru
  Southern South America: Argentina; Chile; Uruguay [s.]

• NORTHERN AMERICA
  Mexico

• widely cultivated

References:

• 't Mannetje, L. & R. M. Jones, eds. 1992. Forages. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) 4:163.
• Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976–. Flora of Libya. (F Libya)
• Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961–. Flora of New Zealand. (F NZeal)
• Boulos, L. 1995. Flora of Egypt checklist. (L Egypt)
• Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45. (L Peru)
• Davis, P. H., ed. 1965–1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. (F Turk)
• Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
• Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2. (L Macar ed2)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop - on-line resource. (Ecocrop)
• Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14. (Pl SAfr ed2)
• Gunn, C. R. et al. 1978. Classification of Medicago sativa L. using legume characters and flower colors. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1574:7.
• Hara, H. et al. 1978–1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal. (L Nepal)
• Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11. (L Aust)
• Inst. Bot. V. L. Komarova, Acad. Sci. URSS. 1963–. Plantae asiae centralis. (F CAsia)
• Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares. 2008 (F ConoSur)
• Isely, D. 1998. Native and naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii). (Leg US)
• Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931–1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc. (L Maroc)
• Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75. (L Ecuador)
• Kitagawa, M. 1979. Neo-lineamenta florae Manshuricae. (F Manshur)
• Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR. (F USSR)
• Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist. (Leg SAsia)
• Lesins, K. A. & I. Lesins. 1979. Genus Medicago (Leguminosae). A taxogenetic study. (Gen Medicago) 95.
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
• McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
• McVaugh, R. 1983–. Flora Novo-Galiciana. (F NGalicia)
• Mouterde, P. 1966–. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie. (F Liban)
• Munro, D. B. Canadian poisonous plants information system - on-line resource. (Can Poison Pl)
• Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970–. Flora of [West] Pakistan. (F Pak)
• Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). (F JapanOhwi)
• Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) - on-line resource. (Pl Names)
• Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979–1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones. (F Tunis)
• Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962–1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie. (F Alger)
• Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963–. Flora iranica. (F Iran)
• Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta). (L Azores)
• Small, E. et al. 1981. The taxonomic value of floral characters in tribe Trigonelleae (Leguminosae), with special reference to Medicago. Canad. J. Bot. 59:1580.
• Small, E. 1981. A numerical analysis of major groupings in Medicago employing traditionally used characters. Canad. J. Bot. 59:1555.
• Täckholm, V. 1974. Students' flora of Egypt, ed. 2. (SF Egypt)
• Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966–. Flora of Iraq. (F Iraq)
• Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea. (F Eur)
• Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia. (Leg NEurasia)
• Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966–. Flora palaestina. (F Palest)
• Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74., 1999 (L Argent)

More:

Search AGRICOLA article citation database for citations referencing Medicago sativa.

Search NCBI's Entrez search engine for PubMed citations referencing Medicago sativa. Note: Defaults to a search by genus or species epithet if species binomial not found.

Synonyms:

• Medicago agropyretorum Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  (previously associated with 2 accessions)
• Medicago asiatica Sinskaya [= Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  (previously associated with 2 accessions)
• Medicago borealis Grossh. [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago caerulea Less. ex Ledeb. [≡ Medicago sativa subsp. caerulea]
  (previously associated with 29 accessions)
• (=) Medicago caerulea var. pauciflora (Ledeb.) Grossh.
  
• Medicago difalcata Sinskaya [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• Medicago falcata L. [≡ Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  (previously associated with 402 accessions)
• Medicago falcata var. ambigua Trautv. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• Medicago falcata subsp. glandulosa (W. D. J. Koch) Greuter & Burdet [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var. viscosa]
  (previously associated with 2 accessions)
• Medicago falcata var. glandulosa W. D. J. Koch [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var. viscosa]
  
• Medicago falcata var. romanica (Prodán) O. Schwarz & Klink. [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  
• Medicago glandulosa Davidov [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var. viscosa]
  (previously associated with 10 accessions)
• Medicago glomerata Balb. [≡ Medicago sativa subsp. glomerata]
  (previously associated with 3 accessions)
• Medicago glutinosa M. Bieb. [= Medicago sativa subsp. glomerata]
  (previously associated with 3 accessions)
• Medicago glutinosa subsp. praefalcata Sinskaya [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  
• Medicago grossheimii Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. tunetana]
  
• Medicago gunibica Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa subsp. glomerata]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago hemicoerulea Sinskaya [= Medicago sativa subsp. caerulea]
  (previously associated with 4 accessions)
• Medicago hemicycla Grossh. [≡ Medicago sativa nothosubsp. hemicycla]
  (previously associated with 18 accessions)
• (=) Medicago karatschaica Latsch.
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago komarovii Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• (=) Medicago lavrenkoi Vassilcz.
  (previously associated with 9 accessions)
• Medicago media Pers. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 14 accessions)
• Medicago mesopotamica Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• (=) Medicago pauciflora Ledeb.
  
• Medicago polychroa Grossh. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. tunetana]
  (previously associated with 3 accessions)
• Medicago praesativa Sinskaya [= Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• Medicago procumbens var. viscosa Rchb. [≡ Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var. viscosa]
  
• Medicago quasifalcata Sinskaya [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  (previously associated with 2 accessions)
• Medicago rivularis Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago romanica Prodán [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  (previously associated with 9 accessions)
• Medicago sativa subsp. ambigua (Trautv.) Tutin [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 3 accessions)
• Medicago sativa subsp. faurei Maire [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. tunetana]
  
• Medicago sativa f. gaetula Urb. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. tunetana]
  (previously associated with 8 accessions)
• Medicago sativa f. glutinosa (M. Bieb.) Urb. [= Medicago sativa subsp. glomerata]
  (previously associated with 6 accessions)
• Medicago sativa subsp. microcarpa Urb. [= Medicago sativa subsp. caerulea]
  
• (=) Medicago sativa var. pilifera Urb.
  
• Medicago sativa subsp. praefalcata (Sinskaya) C. R. Gunn [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 9 accessions)
• Medicago sativa var. varia (Martyn) Urb. [≡ Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 50 accessions)
• Medicago sativa f. viscosa (Rchb.) Urb. [≡ Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var. viscosa]
  
• Medicago sativa subsp. viscosa (Rchb.) C. R. Gunn [≡ Medicago sativa subsp. falcata var. viscosa]
  
• Medicago schischkinii Sumnev. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago sogdiana Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  
• Medicago tenderiensis Opperman ex Klokov [= Medicago sativa subsp. falcata]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago tianschanica Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 11 accessions)
• Medicago transoxana Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa subsp. sativa]
  (previously associated with 3 accessions)
• Medicago trautvetteri Sumnev. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 43 accessions)
• Medicago tunetana (Murb.) Vassilcz. [≡ Medicago sativa nothosubsp. tunetana]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago vardanis Vassilcz. [= Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  (previously associated with 1 accession)
• Medicago ×varia Martyn [≡ Medicago sativa nothosubsp. varia]
  

Check other databases for Medicago sativa L.:

• Flora Europaea: Database of European Plants (ESFEDS)
• Flora del Conosur: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Conosur
• AVH: Australia's Virtual Herbarium Map Display Interface
• SIBIS: South African National Biodiversity Institute's (SANBI) Integrated Biodiversity System
• PLANTS: USDA-NRCS Database of Plants of the United States and its Territories
• TROPICOS: Nomenclatural and Specimen Database of the Missouri Botanical Garden
• ILDIS: International Legume Database & Information Service
• Mansfeld: Mansfeld's World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops
• ePIC: Electronic Plant Information Centre of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• AGRICOLA: Article Citation Database or NAL Catalog of USDA's National Agricultural Library
• Entrez: NCBI's search engine for PubMed citations, GenBank sequences, etc.
  Note: Defaults to a search by genus or species epithet if species binomial not found.

Images or nodulation data:

• GRIN Images of germplasm accessions.
• Seed: U.S. National Seed Herbarium image
• GRIN nodulation data

More:

• Check PlantSystematics.org for additional images
• Images Note: Be advised that their identity may be inaccurate. Proper identification of a plant may require specialized taxonomic knowledge or comparison with properly documented herbarium material.

Abbreviations & symbols in GRIN Taxonomy

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