What is "medicago sativa"

Lucern \Lu"cern\, n. [F. luzerne.] (Bot.) A leguminous plant ( Medicago sativa), having bluish purple cloverlike flowers, cultivated for fodder; -- called also alfalfa. [Written also lucerne.]

Alfalfa \Al*fal"fa\, n. [Sp.] (Bot.) The lucern ( Medicago sativa), a leguminous plant having bluish purple cloverlike flowers, and cultivated for fodder; -- so called in California, Texas, etc.

Medic \Med"ic\, n. [L. medica, Gr. ? (sc. ?) a kind of clover introduced from Media, from ? Median.] (Bot.) A leguminous plant of the genus Medicago. The black medic is the Medicago lupulina; the purple medic, or lucern, is Medicago sativa.