Medicago sp.
Alfalfa, medick, Medick
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Perennial · Not Native
Medicago sp. (Alfalfa) is a non-native California perennial in the Fabaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Melilotus: Medicago fruits are spirally coiled; Melilotus fruits are small egg-shaped pods with transverse ridges.; vs Trifolium: Medicago flowers fall off; Trifolium flowers persist and enclose the fruit in papery covering.; vs Oxalis: Medicago has pea-shaped flowers and coiled fruits; wood-sorrels (Oxalis) have 5-petaled flowers and upright capsules.; vs Acmispon: Medicago has toothed leaflets and coiled fruits; Acmispon has smooth-edged leaflets and straight pods.; vs Vicia: Medicago has coiled prickly fruits; vetches (Vicia) have flat straight pods and tendrils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Medicago sp. native to California?
No. Medicago sp. is not native to California (recorded as not native).
What plant family does Medicago sp. belong to?
Medicago sp. is in the Fabaceae family, genus Medicago.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Medicago truncatula — Barrel medick
- Medicago arabica — Burclover
- Medicago lupulina — Black medick
- Medicago minima — Burclover
- Medicago orbicularis — Blackdisk medick
- Medicago polymorpha — California burclover
- Melilotus albus — White sweetclover
- Melilotus indicus — Sourclover
- Melilotus officinalis — Yellow sweetclover
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.