Medicago

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Medicago
Medicago littoralis
Medicago littoralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Trifolieae
Genus: Medicago
L.
Species

Medicago agropyretorum
Medicago alatavica
Medicago arabica
Medicago arborea
Medicago archiducis-nicolai
Medicago astroites
Medicago blancheana
Medicago brachycarpa
Medicago cancellata
Medicago carstiensis
Medicago caucasica
Medicago constricta
Medicago coronata
Medicago crassipes
Medicago cretacea
Medicago cyrenaea
Medicago daghestanica
Medicago difalcata
Medicago disciformis
Medicago doliata
Medicago edgeworthii
Medicago falcata
Medicago fischeriana
Medicago glomerata
Medicago granadensis
Medicago grossheimii
Medicago gunibica
Medicago heldreichii
Medicago hemicoerulea
Medicago heyniana
Medicago hybrida
Medicago hypogaea
Medicago intertexta
Medicago karatschaia
Medicago komarovii
Medicago laciniata
Medicago lanigera
Medicago laxispira
Medicago littoralis
Medicago lupulina
Medicago marina
Medicago medicaginoides
Medicago meyeri
Medicago minima
Medicago monantha
Medicago monspeliaca
Medicago murex
Medicago muricoleptis
Medicago noeana
Medicago orbicularis
Medicago orthoceras
Medicago ovalis
Medicago papillosa
Medicago persica
Medicago phrygia
Medicago pironae
Medicago playtcarpa
Medicago polyceratia
Medicago polychroa
Medicago polymorpha
Medicago praecox
Medicago prostrata
Medicago radiata
Medicago retrorsa
Medicago rhodopea
Medicago rigida
Medicago rigidula
Medicago rotata
Medicago rugosa
Medicago rupestris
Medicago ruthenica
Medicago sativa
Medicago sauvagei
Medicago saxatilis
Medicago schischkinii
Medicago scutellata
Medicago secundiflora
Medicago sinskiae
Medicago soleirolii
Medicago strasseri
Medicago suffruticosa
Medicago talyschensis
Medicago tenoreana
Medicago tornata
Medicago transoxana
Medicago truncatula
Medicago tunetana
Medicago turbinata
Medicago vardanis
Medicago virescens

Ref: ILDIS
as of November 2005

Medicago (family: Fabaceae, the pea family) is a genus of perennial flowering plant, known generally as medick or burclover. The most prominent member of the genus is alfalfa (M. sativa), an important crop.

Most members of the family are low, creeping herbs. However, alfalfa grows to a height of 1 meter, and Tree Medick (M. arborea) is a shrub.

Other than alfalfa, several of the creeping members of the family have been used as forage crops.

Medicago species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Common Swift, Flame, Latticed Heath, Lime-speck Pug, Nutmeg, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Turnip Moth and case-bearers of the genus Coleophora including C. frischella (recorded on M. sativa) and C. fuscociliella (feeds exclusively on Medicago spp).