Alfalfa
Medicago sativa L. [Fabaceae]
Murasaki-umagoyashi (ムラサキウマゴヤシ, 紫馬肥)
Lifeform: deciduous perennial forb (3-12 years)
Distribution: native to Mediterranean region (exotic to Japan)
Habitat: flatland, and seacoast
Well-known as nitrogen-fixing plant
Medicago L. in Japan
All Medicago species in Japan are exotic.
M. polymorpha L. (ウマゴヤシ)
M. minima (L.) Bartal. (コウマゴヤシ)
M. lupulina L. (コメツブウマゴヤシ)
M. truncatula Gaertn. (タルウマゴヤシ)
M. sativa L. (ムラサキウマゴヤシ)
- subsp. falcata (L.) Arcang. (コガネウマゴヤシ)
M. arabica (L.) Huds. (モンツキウマゴヤシ)
Medicago sativa in Hokkaido
[Left] An overview. [Center] A leaf. [Right] An inflorescence. The sample was collected from a park near Elm Tunnel on July 24 2009.
At the weather station of the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, on August 31 2009.