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Medicago sativa, more commonly known as alfalfa is a perennial plant usually grown by farmers and fed to livestock as hay or mixed with corn (click on "corn" for more information) to form silage. Alfalfa can grow up to one meter in length and looks similar to a clover with small clusters of purple flowers. The United States is the largest producer of alfalfa on Earth.
Classification:
Domain: Eukarya
Chromosomes are multiple and linear, Multicellular, have
a
Have
a nucleus,
Kingdom: Plantea
photosynthetic, share a freshwater algal ancestor, cell
walls of cellulose,
Alternation of generations
Sporophtyes are large and nutritionally independent
Order: Fabales
single carpel that gives rise to the pod, compound
leaves, 10-many stamen
Family: Fabaceae
(the pea family) bilaterally symmetrical flowers, legume
fruits
Genus:
Medicago
contains coumestans, and the phytoestrogens,
Species:
Medicago sativa
compound leaves with 3 leaflets and clusters of usually violet-blue
flowers
Phylogenetic Tree:
The phylogenetic tree is based mainly off morphological characteristics related to Medicago sativa. An interesting point is how alfalfa is in the Fabaceae family (or the pea family). I was unaware of this fact until I created the phylogenetic tree.