Historical Common Names of Great Plains Plants:

Medicago sativa L.

Origin: introduced

Common names:

Alfafa (1884-Present, from Spanish from alfacfacah = best sort of fodder in Arabian or from Al-chelfa that which grows after something else) (3, 4, 5, 32, 45, 50, 52, 63, 66, 68, 72, 82, 85, 87, 93, 95, 97, 106, 107, 109, 110,114, 118, 122, 124, 125, 129, 138, 151, 155, 156, 157, 158)

Alfasafat (Spanish from Arabic) (1886) (110)

Brazilian clover (1898-1929) (5, 118, 157, 158)

Burgundy clover (1900-1929) (5, 157, 158)

Burgundy trefoil (1923) (156)

Burgundy-hay (1900-1929) (157, 158)

California clover (1919) (52)

Chilian clover (1896-1929) (5, 45, 118, 157, 158)

Dutch clover (1900-1929) (157, 158)

Erurye (1622 Spanish, old name, Bauhin) (110)

Fisfisat (1886, Arabic) (110)

French clover (1896-1898) (45, 118)

Great trefoil (1900-1929) (5, 157, 158)

Herba medica (1886, Latin) (110)

Herba spagna (1886, Itallian) (110)

Holy hay [Holyhay, Holy-hay] (1900-1929) (5, 157, 158)

Isfist (1886, Persian) (110)

Laouzerdo (1886, French, South of France, morphed into luzerne, hence source of name) (110)

Lucern (1884-1949) (87, 109, 151)

Lucerne (1840-1949, not for Swiss state) (5, 14, 19, 45, 63, 66, 68, 82, 87, 92, 93, 95, 107, 109, 118, 129, 156, 157, 158)

Lucifer (1900, verbal corruption) (158)

Medica (1886, Latin, brought from Media about 470 BC, hence name) (110)

Medicai (1886, Greek) (110)

Medick (1840-1898) (14, 19, 45, 118)

Mielga or melga (1886, Spanish, corruption of medica) (110)

Purple medick [Purple medic] (1896-1929, England) (5, 45, 156, 157, 158)

Sainfoin (1913-1923, more properly Onobrychis sativa) (5, 110, 156)

Snail clover (1900-1929) (5, 157, 158)

Snail-flower (1923) (156)

Spanish clover (1900-1929) (52, 157, 158)

Spanish medick (1923) (156)

Spanish trefoil (1896-1929) (5, 45, 118, 157, 158)

Userdas (1886, Catalan) (110)