Alfalfa vs Moon Trefoil

Medicago sativa compared with Medicago arborea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alfalfa	Moon Trefoil
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family same	Fabaceae	Fabaceae
Genus same	Medicago	Medicago
Species	Medicago sativa	Medicago arborea

Evolutionary Relationship

Alfalfa and Moon Trefoil share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Medicago.

View Genus: Medicago

Conservation Status

Alfalfa

LC — Least Concern

Moon Trefoil

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alfalfa	Moon Trefoil
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alfalfa

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Angola, Chad, South Africa), Asia (11 countries), Europe (26 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Papua New Guinea), and South America (6 countries).

Moon Trefoil

Habitat

Inhabits montane grasslands and shrublands and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Morocco), Europe (8 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Chile).

Alfalfa

The Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a species in the genus Medicago. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also.