alfalfa

(Medicago sativa ssp. sativa)

Conservation Status
alfalfa
 
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

     
  NatureServe

NNA - No Status Rank

SNA - No Status Rank

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

UPL - Obligate upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

The flowers are usually purple, sometimes yellow or white. The seeds are tightly curled into a spiral with 2 to 4 coils..

 
     
 

Height

 
 

12 to 36

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Purple to cream

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Yellow alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. falcata) has yellow flowers. The seeds are curled but not spiraled.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Disturbed sites

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

June to September

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 7, 22, 29, 30.

 
  2/3/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native of western Asia and Egypt. Cultivated and naturalized.

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Fabales (legumes, milkworts, and allies)  
 

Family

Fabaceae (legumes)  
  Subfamily Faboideae  
  Tribe

Trifolieae

 
  Genus Medicago (medicks)  
  Section Medicago  
  Section Medicago  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
       
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Medicago sativa ssp. varia

Medicago X varia

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

alfalfa

lucerne (UK)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    alfalfa   alfalfa  
           
    alfalfa   alfalfa  
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    alfalfa   alfalfa  
           
    alfalfa   alfalfa  
           
 

Inflorescence with Both Yellow and Purple Flowers

 
    alfalfa      
           
 

Flowers

 
    alfalfa   alfalfa  
           
    alfalfa      
           
 

Stem

 
    alfalfa      
           
 

Fruit

 
    alfalfa      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Medicago sativa
Matt Lavin
 
  Medicago sativa  
 
About

Introduced perennial herb, stem erect, to nearly 1 m tall, leaflets with serrate margins at least distally, explosive pollen release and coiled pods are the distinctive the genus, often escaping cultivation along roadsides, open fields, and areas of regular disturbance.

 
  Medicago sativa
Susanne Wiik
 
  Medicago sativa  
  Medicago Sativa
trolltrolled1
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on May 18, 2011

Plants of future (http://www.pfaf.org)

GRIN - Taxonomic information (http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxfam.pl?language=es)

 
  Medicago sativa
Anaïs Déu Rosselló
 
   
 
About

Published on May 8, 2013

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Medicago+sativa

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?23676

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) / Luzerne - 2012-06-16
W3stlander
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 18, 2012

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

---------------
Luzerne (Medicago sativa).

52.02048 4.30951

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Anna Gronseth Prairie

Antelope Valley SNA

Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit

Belgium Prairie

Blaine Preserve SNA

Blanket Flower Prairie SNA

Blazing Star Prairie

Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve, South Unit

Blue Devil Valley SNA

Bonanza Prairie SNA

Bunker Hills Regional Park

Butternut Valley Prairie SNA

Camden State Park

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center

Carver Highlands WMA, South Unit

Carver Park Reserve

Cherry Grove Blind Valley SNA

Chippewa Prairie

Clinton Prairie SNA

Compass Prairie SNA

Cottonwood River Prairie SNA

Crosby Farm Regional Park

Des Moines River SNA

Dodge Nature Center

Elm Creek Park Reserve

Felton Prairie SNA, Bicentennial Unit

Felton Prairie SNA, Shrike Unit

Felton WMA

Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Frontenac State Park

Glacial Lakes State Park

Glendalough State Park

Glynn Prairie SNA

Gneiss Outcrops SNA

Hastings SNA

Hayes Lake State Park

Helen Allison Savanna SNA

Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

Holthe Prairie SNA

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

Iron Horse Prairie SNA

Iron Springs Bog SNA

Jensen Memorial WMA

Kasota Prairie

Kasota Prairie SNA

Lake Alexander Woods SNA, South Unit

Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Lake Louise State Park

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

Leif Mountain

Lost Valley Prairie SNA

Lundblad Prairie SNA

Maplewood State Park

Margherita Preserve-Audubon Prairie

Miller Prairie, West Unit

Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit

Minnesota Valley NWR, Wilkie Unit

Monson Lake State Park

Mound Spring Prairie SNA, North Unit

Mound Spring Prairie SNA, South Unit

Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Rengstorf Unit

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit

Old Mill State Park

Ordway Prairie

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Osmundson Prairie SNA

Partch Woods SNA

Pembina Trail Preserve SNA, Crookston Prairie Unit

Phelps Lake WMA

Pilot Knob

Pine Bend Bluffs SNA

Prairie Coteau SNA

Prairie Smoke Dunes SNA

Red Rock Prairie

Regal Meadow

Rice Lake Savanna SNA

Ripley Esker SNA

Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve

Rock Ridge Prairie SNA

Sandpiper Prairie SNA

Savage Fen SNA

Savanna Portage State Park

Sedan Brook Prairie SNA

Seminary Fen SNA

Seven Sisters Prairie

Sheepberry Fen

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Staffanson Prairie

Strandness Prairie

Sunfish Lake Park

Swedes Forest SNA

Thorson Prairie WMA

Tiedemann WMA

Town Hall Prairie

Tribute WMA

Twin Lakes SNA

Twin Valley Prairie Addition

Tympanuchus Prairie

Upper Sioux Agency State Park

Verlyn Marth Memorial Prairie SNA

Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and WMA

Vermillion River WMA

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Wood-Rill SNA

Woodbury WMA

Yellow Bank Hills SNA

 

 

 

Binoculars


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