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Medicago sativa - Ashvabala
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Ashvabala, Alfalfa, Medicago sativa(bitanical name), Safed Musli or Rajko (Hindi), Kudirai masal or Kollu (Tamil) also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world.In ancient India, Ayurvedic texts prescribe the use of Alfalfa seeds and sprouts for improving blood cell production and it's leaves and stem as a good source of protein and minerals.Alfalfa is widely grown throughout the world as forage for cattle, and is most often harvested as hay, but can also be made into silage, grazed, or fed as greenchop.
Contents
Uses
relieve water retention, arthritis, ulcers, purifying the blood, food digestion, assimilation, kidney problems.
Parts Used
Chemical Composition
Tender shoots of alfalfa are reported to contain per 100 g 52 calories, 82.7% moisture, 6 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 9.5 g total carbohydrate, 3.1 g fiber, 1.4 g ash, 12 mg Ca, 51 mg P, 5.4 mg Fe, 3410 IU Vit A, 0.13 mg thiamine, 0.14 mg riboflavin, 0.5 mg niacin, and 162 mg ascorbic acid[1]
Common names
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Kannada | lusarne soppu, vilaayiti hullu |
| Hindi | lusan ghas |
| Malayalam | |
| Tamil | kutirai macal |
| Telugu | |
| Marathi | NA |
| Gujarathi | NA |
| Punjabi | NA |
| Kashmiri | NA |
| Sanskrit | ashvabala |
| English | Alfalfa, bastard medic |
Habit
Identification
Leaf
| Kind | Shape | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| glabrous | sessile | The leaves are variable in shape and size |
.[2]
Flower
| Type | Size | Color and composition | Stamen | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unisexual | 2-4cm long | white–violet | 10-18 | Flowers are Large, hooded and occur in slender racemes or lax leafy panicles. Corolla is hairy. Carpels are five in number |
Fruit
| Type | Size | Mass | Appearance | Seeds | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7–10 mm (0.28–0.4 in.) long pome | s | {{{6}}} |
Other features
List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used
- Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract
Where to get the saplings
Mode of Propagation
How to plant/cultivate
For cultivation of alfalfa, land should be well-plowed. Farm manure could be applied six weeks before planting, with additional manurings as top dressing after every third cutting. Crop is propagated by seed. As seeds have hard coat, they should be scarified or soaked in water before sowing.[3]
Commonly seen growing in areas
western Himalayas, open woodland, moisty soil area.
Photo Gallery
Medicago sativa
M. sativa
M. sativa
Flowers
Yellow flowers
Light violet flowers
M. sativa var. sativa, mature fruits
Seeds (actual size ≈2mm)
Lucerne field
Bee on alfalfa flower
References
External Links
- Pages that are stubs
- Ayurvedic Herbs known to be helpful to treat relieve water retention
- Ayurvedic Herbs known to be helpful to treat arthritis
- Ayurvedic Herbs known to be helpful to treat ulcers
- Ayurvedic Herbs known to be helpful to treat purifying the blood
- Ayurvedic Herbs known to be helpful to treat food digestion
- Ayurvedic Herbs known to be helpful to treat assimilation
- Ayurvedic Herbs known to be helpful to treat kidney problems
- Herbs with Root tubers used in medicine
- Herbs with common name in Kannada
- Herbs with common name in Hindi
- Herbs with common name in Tamil
- Herbs with common name in Sanskrit
- Herbs with common name in English
- Habit - Herb
- Index of Plants which can be propagated by Seeds
- Index of Plants which can be propagated by Tuber segment
- Herbs that are commonly seen in the region of western Himalayas
- Herbs that are commonly seen in the region of open woodland
- Herbs that are commonly seen in the region of moisty soil area
- Herbs
