Medicago is a
genus of
flowering plants, commonly known as
medick or
burclover, in the
legume family. It contains at least 87 species and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean basin. The best-known member of the genus is
alfalfa (
M. sativa), an important forage crop, and the genus name is based on the Latin name for that plant,
medica, from
median (grass). Most members of the genus are low, creeping herbs, resembling
clover, but with
burs (hence the common name). However, alfalfa grows to a height of 1 meter, and
tree medick (
M. arborea) is a
shrub. Members of the genus are known to produce bioactive compounds such as
medicarpin (a
flavonoid) and medicagenic acid (a
triterpenoid saponin).
Chromosome numbers in
Medicago range from 2
n = 14 to 48.
