Alfalfa
ORIGEN
Alfalfa has its area of origin in Asia Minor and south of the Caucasus, covering countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Persians introduced alfalfa in Greece and thence passed to Italy in the fourth century BC. C. The great diffusion of its culture was carried out by the Arabs through the North of Africa, arriving at Spain where it extended to all Europe.
TAXONOMÍA Y MORFOLOGÍA
Familia: Alfalfa belongs to the family of legumes, whose scientific name is Medicago sativa. It is a perennial plant, vivacious and erect.
Planta: The main root is pivoting, robust and highly developed (up to 5 m in length) with numerous secondary roots. It has a crown that leaves the ground, from which sprouts emerge giving rise to the stems.
Tallo: They are thin and erect to support the weight of leaves and inflorescences, they are also very consistent, so it is a very suitable plant for mowing. Leaves. They are trifoliate, although the first true leaves are unifoliate. The margins are smooth and with slightly jagged upper edges.
Flores: The characteristic flower of this family is that of the subfamily Papilionoidea. They are blue or purple, with inflorescences in clusters that are born in the axils of the leaves.
Fruto: It is an indehiscent legume without thorns that contains between 2 and 6 yellowish seeds, kidney-shaped and from 1.5 to 2.5 mm. of length.
