alfalfa
(Medicago sativa ssp. sativa)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | NNA - Not applicable SNA - Not applicable |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Wetland Indicator Status |
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| Great Plains | UPL - Obligate upland |
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| Midwest | FACU - Facultative upland |
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| Northcentral & Northeast | UPL - Obligate upland |
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Description |
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The flowers are usually purple, sometimes yellow or white. The seeds are tightly curled into a spiral with 2 to 4 coils.. |
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Height |
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12″ to 36″ |
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Flower Color |
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Purple to cream |
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Similar Species |
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Yellow alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. falcata) has yellow flowers. The seeds are curled but not spiraled. |
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Habitat |
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Disturbed sites |
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Ecology |
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Flowering |
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June to September |
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Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 2/3/2023 | ||||
Nativity |
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Native of western Asia and Egypt. Cultivated and naturalized. |
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Occurrence |
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Common |
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Taxonomy |
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| 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) / Angiospermae (flowering plants) | ||
| Class | Magnoliopsida (flowering plants) | ||
| Superorder | Rosanae | ||
Order |
Fabales (legumes, milkworts, and allies) | ||
Family |
Fabaceae (legumes) | ||
| Subfamily | Faboideae | ||
| Tribe | Trifolieae |
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| Genus | Medicago (medicks) | ||
| Section | Medicago | ||
| Section | Medicago | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Medicago sativa ssp. varia Medicago X varia |
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Common Names |
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alfalfa lucerne (UK) |
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Visitor Photos |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Plant |
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Inflorescence |
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Inflorescence with Both Yellow and Purple Flowers |
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Flowers |
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Stem |
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Fruit |
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Slideshows |
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| Medicago sativa Matt Lavin |
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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. |
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| Medicago sativa Susanne Wiik |
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| Medicago Sativa trolltrolled1 |
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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) |
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| Medicago sativa Anaïs Déu Rosselló |
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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 |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) / Luzerne - 2012-06-16 W3stlander |
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About
Published on Jun 18, 2012 Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). --------------- 52.02048 4.30951 |
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Visitor Sightings |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve, South Unit Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center Carver Highlands WMA, South Unit Felton Prairie SNA, Bicentennial Unit Felton Prairie SNA, Shrike Unit Lake Alexander Woods SNA, South Unit Margherita Preserve-Audubon Prairie Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit Minnesota Valley NWR, Wilkie Unit Mound Spring Prairie SNA, North Unit Mound Spring Prairie SNA, South Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Rengstorf Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit Pembina Trail Preserve SNA, Crookston Prairie Unit Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve Verlyn Marth Memorial Prairie SNA |
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