The plants around us. Volum II The plant around us. Volum II | Page 20

Medicago sativa
English: Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a perennial flowering plant in the pea
Spanish: Alfalfa family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage
Estonian: Harilik lutsern crop in many countries around the world.
Alfalfa is native to warmer temperate climates. It
has been cultivated as livestock fodder since at
least the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Flowers
Inflorescence in a
pedunculated cluster,
the peduncle much
longer than the
petiole. Corolla 6-12
mm long, pale violet
lavender
Fruit
Leaves
The plant superficially resembles It has clusters of
clover (planto f the same family), small purple flowers
especially while young, when followed by fruits
trifoliate leaves comprising round spiralled in 2 to 3
leaflets predominate. Later in turns containing 10–20
maturity, leaflets are elongated. seeds.