As recorded for Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
Alfalfa / Lucerne अल्फाल्फा
Hindi name · See all regional names ↓
Also known as Common Purple Lucerne, Common Lucerne, Purple Alfalfa, Purple Medick
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh & more
Alfalfa in regional languages
Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.
| Language | Regional script | Recorded Latin spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi | अल्फाल्फा · लुसन घास · रिज़का | Alfalfa, Lusan Ghas, Rizka |
| Nepali | लुसर्न घाँस · लुर्सन घाँस | Lusarna Ghaansa |
| Bengali | আলফালফা | Not recorded |
| Tamil | குதிரை மசால் | Kutirai Macal |
| Telugu | అల్ఫాల్ఫా | Alphalpha |
| Kannada | ಆಲ್ಫಾಲ್ಫ · ಕುದುರೆ ಮಸಾಲೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು · ಲುಸರ್ನೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು | Alphalpha, Kudure Masaale Soppu, Lusarne Soppu |
| Malayalam | അൽഫാൽഫ · ലുസേൺ | Alphaalpha, Lusen |
| Marathi | लसूण घास · लुजेन · विलायती गवत | Lasun Ghas, Lujen, Vilayati Gavat |
See the original recorded names
- Hindi
- अल्फाल्फा Alfalfa, लुसन घास Lusan Ghas, रिज़का Rizka
- Nepali
- लुसर्न घाँस Lusarna Ghaansa, लुर्सन घाँस
- Bengali
- আলফালফা
- Tamil
- குதிரை மசால் Kutirai Macal, குதிரை மசால்
- Telugu
- అల్ఫాల్ఫా Alphalpha, అల్ఫాల్ఫా
- Kannada
- ಆಲ್ಫಾಲ್ಫ Alphalpha, ಕುದುರೆ ಮಸಾಲೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Kudure Masaale Soppu, ಲುಸರ್ನೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Lusarne Soppu
- Malayalam
- അൽഫാൽഫ Alphaalpha, ലുസേൺ Lusen, അൽഫാൽഫ
- Marathi
- लसूण घास Lasun Ghas, लुजेन Lujen, विलायती गवत Vilayati Gavat
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP records it as introduced in India, West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Medit. to C. Asia and Iran.
- Recorded habitat
- Cultivated
- Explore nearby plants
- Gujarat →Jammu & Kashmir →Ladakh →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Alfalfa
Identify Alfalfa by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Widely cultivated forage crop (alfalfa/lucerne).
- Confirm leaf type: Trifoliate (three leaflets).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- Confirm fruit type: Legume.
- In India, compare location records such as Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Medicago sativa
- Genus
- Medicago
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Cultivated
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Mediterranian
- Distribution
- Mediterranean, West Asia, Temperate regions of the world
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Trifoliate (three leaflets)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Alfalfa itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“Alfalfa is a perennial forage legume which normally lives four to eight years but can live more than 20 years, depending on variety and climate.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Alfalfa itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.
Alfalfa in India
Lucerne, known as अल्फाल्फा Alfalfa (Hindi), குதிரை மசால் Kutirai Macal (Tamil), అల్ఫాల్ఫా Alphalpha (Telugu), ಆಲ್ಫಾಲ್ಫ Alphalpha (Kannada), അൽഫാൽഫ Alphaalpha (Malayalam), लसूण घास Lasun Ghas (Marathi), is grown as a high-protein fodder crop. Medicago sativa is cultivated across Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Leh, Ladak, Maharashtra, Memka, Surendranagar District, often cut repeatedly through the growing season.
Uses
It's grown almost entirely as fodder and hay for livestock, especially dairy cattle, valued for its high protein content and ability to regrow after repeated cutting; young shoots are occasionally eaten as sprouts.
How to Identify Alfalfa
A perennial herb with trifoliate leaves, each leaflet toothed only near its tip — a useful way to tell it apart from clovers. Small blue-purple pea-like flowers cluster at the stem tips, followed by distinctive tightly spiralled pods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Lucerne called in different Indian languages?
- अल्फाल्फा Alfalfa (Hindi); குதிரை மசால் Kutirai Macal (Tamil); అల్ఫాల్ఫా Alphalpha (Telugu); ಆಲ್ಫಾಲ್ಫ Alphalpha (Kannada); അൽഫാൽഫ Alphaalpha (Malayalam); लसूण घास Lasun Ghas (Marathi); আলফালফা (Bengali).
- How is alfalfa different from clover?
- Alfalfa's leaflets are toothed only near the tip, and its pods are tightly spiralled, unlike the rounder pods and more evenly toothed leaves of clover.
- Why is it cut so often?
- It regrows quickly from the crown after cutting, letting it be harvested multiple times through a season for fresh fodder or hay.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Alfalfa belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guidesMore in Fabaceae
View all FabaceaeSources: GBIF — Medicago sativa (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Medicago sativa (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)