Medicago sativa L.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1150–2700 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Norte de Santander.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.

Kew Species Profiles

General Description

Alfalfa, also called lucerne (Medicago sativa) is an important forage crop in many countries throughout the world. Alfalfa belongs to the plant family Leguminosae, also known as Fabaceae and, like all legumes, it has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air. As a result, alfalfa is incredibly high in protein. Beyond its use in animal feed, the seeds of alfalfa can be sprouted and eaten by humans. 

Species Profile

Geography and distribution

Alfalfa is thought to have originated in Iran and it has been used as a fodder crop since Roman times.

The largest producer of alfalfa today is North America, followed by Europe, South America and Asia. Alfalfa is grown in many other parts of the world, from China to Spain, Sweden to North Africa. Outside of cultivation alfalfa occurs as a weed throughout Asia, Europe and America.

Description

Overview: Medicago sativa is a perennial herb living for several years. It has erect stems up to 60 cm tall with many branches. 

Leaves: The leaflets are 5-20 mm long and dentate (toothed) at the apex and sometimes at the base. 

Flowers: The flowers, which are violet to pale lavender, are clustered along an unbranched axis (known as a raceme). The flowers are papilionaceous, typical of species belonging to the subfamily Papilionoideae, and resemble, for example, the pea flower. The calyx, the outer whorl of floral organs, has teeth which are as long as the floral tube (corolla). The corolla is composed of petals fused into a tube which is 6-12 mm long. 

Fruit: A curved or loose spiral seed pod containing 10 to 20 seeds which are yellow to brown in colour. 

Uses

Alfalfa is one of the most nutritious forage crops available and in addition to its high protein content, is an important source of important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A and calcium. This multi-purpose forage crop is harvested mainly as hay but can also be processed into silage and meal, or grazed on. Pelleted alfalfa meal is used in mixed feeds for cattle, poultry and other animals.

Alfalfa is sometimes grown as a cover crop to reduce soil erosion and often increases yields of succeeding crops such as potatoes, rice and tomatoes.

The seeds of alfalfa can be sprouted and prepared in salads or sandwiches for human consumption. Care should be taken because when consumed raw, alfalfa seeds and sprouts contain the amino acid canavanine which can have a toxic effect in primates, including humans, and can result in lupus-like symptoms in susceptible individuals. The effects can be reversed by stopping the consumption of alfalfa. In parts of Russia and China tender alfalfa leaves serve as a vegetable.

Alfalfa can be used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments for example, in India and China the plant has been used for centuries to relieve fluid retention and to treat kidney stones.

In folklore, it is believed that alfalfa offers protection and the ashes of burnt alfalfa are scattered around a property to guard against negative influences. In pagan rituals alfalfa is used to protect the home from poverty and hunger.

Other uses include manufacturing paper from alfalfa fibre and extracting a yellow dye from the seeds.

Crop wild relatives of alfalfa

The Millennium Seed Bank and the Global Crop Diversity Trust are engaged in a ten-year project, called 'Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change'. The project aims to protect, collect and prepare the wild relatives of 29 key food crops, including alfalfa, so that they are available to pre-breeders for the development of new varieties that are more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Millennium Seed Bank: Seed storage

The  Millennium Seed Bank Partnership aims to save plants worldwide, focusing on those plants which are under threat and those which are of most use in the future. Once seeds have been collected they are dried, packaged and stored at -20°C in our seed bank vault.

Description of seeds: Average 1,000 seed weight = 2 g

Number of seed collections stored in the Millennium Seed Bank: Three

Seed storage behaviour: Orthodox (the seeds of this plant can be dried to low moisture contents without significantly reducing their viability. This means they are suitable for long-term frozen storage such as at the MSB)

Germination testing: Successful

This species at Kew

Pressed and dried specimens of Medicago sativa are held in Kew's Herbarium, where they are available to researchers by appointment. Details and images, of some of these specimens can be seen online in Kew's Herbarium Catalogue.

Distribution

USA

Ecology

Alfalfa grows best in deep well-drained soils which are neutral to slightly alkaline. It is a relatively drought-tolerant crop. However, the crop's yield is reduced in times of water shortage. The optimum temperature range is 15-25°C.

Conservation

Widespread in cultivation.

Hazards

Raw alfalfa seeds and sprouts contain the amino acid canavanine which can have a toxic effect in primates, incl humans, and can result in lupus-like symptoms in susceptible individuals. The effects can be reversed by stopping the consumption of alfalfa.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/174725/19402449

Conservation

LC - least concern

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Distribution

Cultivated in Colombia.

Ecology

Alt. 1150 - 2700 m.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 1150 - 2700 m.; Andes.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Perennial up to 80 cm tall, ± pubescent

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets obovate to almost linear; stipules entire or dentate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 5–40-flowered; corolla 7–11 mm long, blue to violet

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod in a spiral of 1–3 turns with a hole through the centre.

Distribution

N1; S2.

Ecology

Altitude up to 1530 m.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Cultivated

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb

Vernacular

Aidama Bede, Alfalfa, Alfalfa Rustica, Arvuit Tzanovi, Beda, Blalusern, Blaue Luzerne, Chveulebrivi Iondzha, Ekin Garayoncha, Erba Medica, Harilik Lutsern, Lasan, Lasunghas, Lucerna, Lucerna Siewna, Lucerne, Lucherne Albastre, Luzerna, Luzerne, Luzerne Cu

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

alfalfa, alfalfa peruana, alfileres, alfilerillo, cadillo de tierra, ojo de buey, ojovenao, trébol de carretilla

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit

Perrenial (some Annual domesticated forms), stems prostrate to erect,10-100(150) cm long, branching, arising from a crown, rhizome, or roots vegetative parts of shoots more or less pubescent with simple appressed hairs, rarely also glandular hairs leaflets 5-30 mm long, 2-15 mm wide, obovate to linear or lanceolate, apical margin serrate, more or less pubescent below, more or less glabrescent above. stipules lanceolate-acuminate, entire or basally toothed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

3-30(50) flowers, usually in a raceme, peduncle longer than subtending petiole. 5-15 mm long, corolla violet, yellow, yellow-orange, variegated yellow-violet, or pink, green or white

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

calyx about half of length of flower, teeth about equal to length of tube, glabrous, or pubescent with simple hairs and/or glandular hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

spineless, brownish, glabrescent or pubescent with simple hairs, straight, falcate, or with up to six coils, the coils loosely to tightly appressed, the pod face with veins running obliquely from ventral suture

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

2-20 per pod, ovoid to deltoid, surface smooth, yellow, brownish, greenish-yellow, or violet brown, 1-2.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, radicle slightly longer than half seed length.

Ecology

a diverse range of s, often occurs as a weed. altitude 620 - 2030m

Distribution

Russian federation, united kingdom, Iran, Spain, Italy, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Syria, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland.

Conservation

Near endangered

Phenology

Flower (june - september), fruit (june - september)

Use

Fodder, grazing, hay, human food, medicinal.

Use Gene Sources

Crop wild relatives which may possess beneficial traits of value in breeding programmes (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (Instituto Humboldt 2014).

Use

Chemical products, Environmental, Food and Drink, Forage, Medicine, Weed