Medicago

Medicago is a genus of flowering plants, commonly known as medick or burclover, in the legume family (Fabaceae). It contains at least 87 species. The genus name is based on the Latin name for that plant, medica, from Greek: μηδική (πόα)Median (grass).

The genus is distributed mainly around the , also extending across temperate Eurasia and sub-Saharan Africa. Its best-known member is alfalfa (M. sativa), an important forage crop.