Alfalfa tree-like [2] ( Latin: Medicago arborea ) - a species of dicotyledonous plants of the genus Alfalfa ( Medicago ) of the legume family ( Fabaceae ). First described by the Swedish taxonist Karl Linnaeus [3] in 1753 [4] .
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Content
- 1 Distribution
- 2 Botanical Description
- 3 Value
- 4 Synonyms
- 5 notes
- 6 Literature
Distribution
The natural habitat is Albania , Spain (including the Balearic Islands ), Greece (including Crete ), Italy , Monaco , Turkey . It is brought to France , Malta , Portugal , and also to Ethiopia , South Africa , China , Australia ( Queensland , Tasmania ) and New Zealand [5] . There is unconfirmed evidence of plant growth in Algeria [6] .
It grows on rocky slopes, among other shrubs [7] . Prefers dry and rocky places [8] .
Botanical Description
Perennial evergreen shrub up to 2 m high [7] , chamephite [8] .
Young branches are covered with whitish pubescence [8] .
The leaves are obovate or oblong, serrated at the edges [8] .
The flowers are yellow-orange in color, collected in a dense inflorescence [8] .
It blooms from March to May, sometimes until July [8] .
Value
Tree alfalfa was used as a fodder plant during the time of the Romans and the ancient Greeks. They also use it as a technical plant [5] . In addition, the plant is grown as an ornamental, and this is the only species of alfalfa grown for this purpose [9] .
In Greece, leaves are eaten in salads (usually leaves of well-growing plants are collected) [7] .
Synonyms
Synonymous names [3] :
- Medicago arborea var. citrina font quer
- Medicago arborea subsp. citrina ( Font Quer ) O. Bolos & Vigo
- Medicago arborescens C.Presl
- Medicago citrina ( Font Quer ) Greuter
- Rhodusia arborea ( L. ) Vassilcz.
- Trigonella arborea ( L. ) Vassilcz.
Notes
- ↑ For the conventionality of indicating the class of dicotyledons as a superior taxon for the plant group described in this article, see the APG Systems section of the Dicotyledonous article .
- ↑ Alfalfa tree - Medicago arborea - Description of the taxon - Plantarium (unavailable link) . Date of treatment April 8, 2015. Archived on August 27, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 Medicago arborea L. - The Plant List
- ↑ Tropicos | Name -! Medicago arborea L
- ↑ 1 2 Medicago arborea - ILDIS LegumeWeb
- ↑ Greuter, W. et al. (Eds.), 1989. Med-Checklist Vol. four
- ↑ 1 2 3 Medicago arborea Moon Trefoil PFAF Plant Database
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Medicago arborea L
- ↑ Small, E. & Jomphe, M., 1989. A Synopsis of the genus Medicago. Can.J.Bot 67: 3260–3294