苜蓿属

苜蓿（mù xu）属（学名：Medicago）為豆目豆科的一屬，通称苜蓿，俗稱「三葉草」（三葉草亦可稱其他車軸草族植物），是一种多年生开花植物。 其中模式種就是作为牧草的紫花苜蓿（Medicago sativa）。属于牲畜饲料。 属名Medicago源于希腊语medike（豆科一种植物，一说是苜蓿）和ago（相似）的合成词。 苜蓿早期僅供牲畜食用，為很常見的一種牧草，後來發現苜蓿的營養價值後開始當生菜供人食用，不過苜蓿芽有非常強烈的草腥味。每百克鲜菜含维生素C：118毫克；钙：713毫克；铁：9.7毫克；硒：8.5毫克。 原产地是外高加索、小亚细亚、伊朗一带。司马迁在《史记· 大宛列传》： “宛左右以蒲陶为酒，富人藏酒至万馀石，久者十岁不败。俗嗜酒，马嗜苜蓿。汉使取其实来，于是天子始种苜蓿、葡萄肥饶地。及天马多，外国使来众，则离宫别观旁尽种葡萄、苜蓿极望。”北魏杨衒之《洛阳伽蓝记》载:（洛阳城）“ 大夏门东北，今为光风园，苜蓿生焉。” 明朱橚《救荒本草》:“ 张骞自大宛带种归，今处处有自。” 《西京杂记》“樂遊范自生玫瑰樹下多苜蓿，首蓿一名懷風，時人或謂之光風，風在其問常簫蕭然，日照其花有光采，故名苜蓿为怀风，茂陵人谓之连枝草。” 本屬屬於蝶形花亞科，被歸類於車軸草族，有時被細分為幾個組（節）： 木本苜蓿组 Dendrotelis (Vass.) Lassen 天蓝苜蓿组 Lupularia Ser. 紫苜蓿组 Medicago 阔荚苜蓿组 Platycarpae Trautv. 南苜蓿组 Spirocarpos Ser. 本屬包含約89個受承認的物種及雜交種，如下： 褐斑苜蓿 Medicago arabica (L.) Huds. 木本苜蓿 Medicago arborea L. 青海苜蓿 Medicago archiducis-nicolai Širj. Medicago arenicola (Hub.-Mor.) E.Small Medicago astroites (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Trautv. Medicago biflora (Griseb.) E.Small Medicago × blancheana Boiss. Medicago bonarotiana Arcang. Medicago brachycarpa Fisch. ex M.Bieb. Medicago × canariensis Benth. Medicago cancellata M.Bieb. Medicago carica (Hub.-Mor.) E.Small Medicago carstiensis Wulfen Medicago × casellasii P.Monts. Medicago constricta Durieu Medicago coronata (L.) Bartal. Medicago crassipes (Boiss.) E.Small Medicago cretacea M.Bieb. Medicago daghestanica Rupr. ex Boiss. Medicago disciformis DC. Medicago doliata Carmign. 毛荚苜蓿 Medicago edgeworthii Širj. Medicago falcata L. Medicago fischeriana (Ser.) Trautv. Medicago globosa C.Presl Medicago granadensis Willd. Medicago halophila (Boiss.) E.Small Medicago heldreichii E.Small Medicago heyniana Greuter Medicago huberi E.Small Medicago hybrida (Pourr.) Trautv. Medicago hypogaea E.Small Medicago intertexta (L.) Mill. Medicago isthmocarpa (Boiss. & Balansa) E.Small Medicago laciniata (L.) Mill. Medicago lanigera C.Winkl. & B.Fedtsch. Medicago laxispira Heyn Medicago lessingii Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex Kar. Medicago littoralis Rohde ex Loisel. 天藍苜蓿 Medicago lupulina L. Medicago makranica Heyn Medicago marina L. Medicago medicaginoides (Retz.) E.Small 小苜蓿 Medicago minima (L.) Bartal. Medicago × mixta Sennholz Medicago monantha (C.A.Mey.) Trautv. Medicago monspeliaca (L.) Trautv. Medicago murex Willd. Medicago muricoleptis Tineo Medicago noeana Boiss. 扣形苜蓿 Medicago orbicularis (L.) Bartal. Medicago orthoceras (Kar. & Kir.) Trautv. Medicago ovalis (Boiss.) Urb. Medicago pamphylica (Hub.-Mor. & Širj.) E.Small Medicago papillosa Boiss. Medicago persica (Boiss.) E.Small Medicago phrygia (Boiss. & Balansa) E.Small Medicago pironae Vis. 阔荚苜蓿 Medicago platycarpos (L.) Trautv. Medicago plicata (Boiss.) Širj. Medicago polyceratia (L.) Sauvages ex Trautv. 南苜蓿 Medicago polymorpha L. Medicago popovii (Korovin) Širj. 早花苜蓿 Medicago praecox DC. Medicago prostrata Jacq. Medicago radiata L. Medicago retrorsa (Boiss.) E.Small Medicago rhodopea Velen. Medicago rhytidiocarpa (Boiss. & Balansa) E.Small Medicago rigida (Boiss. & Balansa) E.Small Medicago rigidula (L.) All. Medicago rigiduloides E.Small Medicago rostrata (Boiss. & Balansa) E.Small Medicago rotata Boiss. Medicago rugosa Desr. Medicago rupestris M.Bieb. 花苜蓿 Medicago ruthenica (L.) Trautv. Medicago × sabulensis H.Lév. 紫花苜蓿 Medicago sativa L. Medicago sauvagei Nègre Medicago saxatilis M.Bieb. Medicago scutellata (L.) Mill. Medicago secundiflora Durieu Medicago shepardii Post ex Boiss. Medicago sinskiae Uljanova Medicago soleirolii Duby Medicago sphaerocarpos Bertol. Medicago suffruticosa Ramond ex DC. Medicago syriaca E.Small Medicago tenoreana Ser. Medicago tetraprostrata J.S.Erikss. & B.E.Pfeil Medicago tornata (L.) Mill. 蒺藜苜蓿 Medicago truncatula Gaertn. Medicago turbinata (L.) All. 杂交苜蓿 Medicago × varia Martyn 三葉草屬 四葉草（幸運草） Medicago L.. Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. [2021-01-06]. （原始内容存档于2021-04-13） （英语）.  ITIS Standard Report Page: Medicago. www.itis.gov. [2021-01-06]. （原始内容存档于2021-04-18）.  维基共享资源中相关的多媒体资源：苜蓿属 [在维基数据编辑] 《欽定古今圖書集成·博物彙編·草木典·苜蓿部》，出自陈梦雷《古今圖書集成》 《植物名實圖考·苜蓿》，出自吳其濬《植物名實圖考》