Medicago falcata
Encyclopedia
Medicago falcata is a plant species of the genus Medicago
. It is native to the Mediterranean basin, but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic
relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti
, which is capable of nitrogen fixation
. Its common names include blue alfalfa, sickle alfalfa, sickle medick, yellow lucerne, and yellow-flowered alfalfa.
Medicago
Medicago is a genus of flowering plants, commonly known as medick or burclover. The name is based on Latin medica 'alfalfa, lucerne,' from 'Median .'...
. It is native to the Mediterranean basin, but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is close and often long-term interaction between different biological species. In 1877 Bennett used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens...
relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti
Sinorhizobium meliloti
Sinorhizobium meliloti is a Gram-negative nitrogen-fixing bacterium . It forms a symbiotic relationship with legumes from the genera Medicago, Melilotus and Trigonella, including the model legume Medicago truncatula. This symbiosis results in a new plant organ termed a root nodule. The S...
, which is capable of nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia . This process is essential for life because fixed nitrogen is required to biosynthesize the basic building blocks of life, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA and...
. Its common names include blue alfalfa, sickle alfalfa, sickle medick, yellow lucerne, and yellow-flowered alfalfa.