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Glite Dictionary
Medicago sativa

Medicago sativa

6.6
A plant called alfalfa that farmers grow for nutritious animal food and hay
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Medicago sativa
  • Medicago sativa is widely cultivated to improve soil fertility and provide nutritious fodder for livestock.

Examples

  • Many farmers plant Medicago sativa to harvest high-quality hay for their animals.

  • The deep roots of Medicago sativa help it thrive in drought conditions, making it a reliable pasture crop.

  • Farmers often cultivate Medicago sativa for its rich nutrients.

  • The Medicago sativa plant is essential for livestock feed.

  • Farmers often plant Medicago sativa to provide high-quality forage for their livestock.

  • The nutritional benefits of Medicago sativa make it a popular choice for hay production.

  • In many agricultural regions, Medicago sativa is regarded as a staple crop for improving soil health.

Synonyms

alfalfa
vsMedicago sativa
  • US
15 5.0

A plant grown for hay and food for farm animals

is the formal scientific name used for the same plant
lucerne
vsMedicago sativa
  • UK
1 8.6

A plant with leaves in groups of three and purple flowers grown as hay for animals

focuses on its use as nutritious forage for pasture and hay

Surface Forms

Medicago sativa singular
Medicago sativas plural

Morphology

Medicago + sativa

The name is a standard binomial combining a genus name (Medicago) with a species epithet (sativa, ‘cultivated’), so the overall meaning — a cultivated Medicago plant — is directly derivable from the parts. Botanical binomial conventions are consistent across languages, making the composition predictable for learners who know the constituent terms.

Etymology

Medicago sativa, known as alfalfa, was grown long ago around the Mediterranean; picture fields of small green plants with deep roots that pull nutrients up into their leaves. Because those leaves make rich hay and feed animals so well, farmers use it as 'forage' and to 'improve soil'.