Alfalfa
Field of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Yreka, California.
Alfalfa
plant
Also known as: Medicago sativa, lucerne, purple medic
Alfalfa, (Medicago sativa), perennial, cloverlike, leguminous plant of the pea family (Fabaceae), widely grown primarily for hay, pasturage, and silage. Alfalfa is known for its tolerance of drought, heat, and cold and for the remarkable productivity and quality of its herbage. The plant is also valued in soil improvement and is grown as a cover crop and as a green manure. The plant, which grows 30β90 cm (1β3 feet) tall, arises from a much-branched crown...