ムラサキウマゴヤシの根は深く伸びて土を柔らかくし、根粒菌と共生して土を肥沃に。花は茎先で小さな蝶形花が螺旋状に集まって咲きます。
Alfalfa’s roots grow deep to soften the soil and live in symbiosis with rhizobia to fertilize the soil. The flower blooms with small butterfly-shaped flowers gathered in a spiral at the tip of the stem.
【仮名】ムラサキウマゴヤシ, アルファルファ, ルーサン
【和名】紫苜蓿, 紫馬肥
【英名】Alfalfa, Lucerne
【学名】Medicago sativa
【誕生】05/ 29, 06/ 21
【開花】05, 06, 07, 08, 09月
【花色】Purple, Violet
ムラサキウマゴヤシ
ムラサキウマゴヤシの概要
ムラサキウマゴヤシはマメ科ウマゴヤシ属の多年草です。原産地は中央アジアで、家畜の飼料として西アジアから欧州へと伝播。冷涼な気候で水はけのよいアルカリ性土壌を好む一方、凍霜害に弱いため、日本では栽培の難しい牧草でしたが、品種改良などで作付けが広がっています。
ムラサキウマゴヤシの和名
ムラサキウマゴヤシの名前の由来は、黄色の花が咲くウマゴヤシ属で唯一、紫色の花が咲くからです。「馬肥」の文字通り、馬が好んで食べて肥るため。タンパク質のほか、カルシウムなどミネラル類に富み、世界的に牛や羊などの牧草に用いられるので「飼料の王様」と呼ばれます。
ムラサキウマゴヤシの英名
ムラサキウマゴヤシの英名アルファルファはアラビア語の「最高の飼料」に由来します。ラテン語の属名メディカゴは古くに栽培していた西アジアの王国「メディア」に由来。または、人が食べて健康になるので「医薬」という意味もあります。種小名サティバは「栽培」という意味。
ムラサキウマゴヤシの姿形
ムラサキウマゴヤシの根は深く伸びて土を柔らかくします。根粒菌と共生して空気中の窒素を固定し、土を肥沃に。茎は盛んに分岐して横に広がり、葉は細長い小葉３枚の複葉で互生。花は茎先で小さな蝶形花が螺旋状に集まって咲きます。花後の豆果は螺旋状の鞘に硬い種子を収納。
ムラサキウマゴヤシの利用
ムラサキウマゴヤシは播種後１週間くらいの幼苗が、ビタミン類やミネラル類に富むスプラウトとしてサラダやスープなどで食べられます。さらに茎葉も様々な健康効果を謳うサプリメントで流通。一方、毒性のあるアミノ酸「カナバニン」も含まれるので摂り過ぎに注意が必要です。
Alfalfa
Overview of Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a perennial plant of the Fabaceae family. It originated in Central Asia and spread from West Asia to Europe as livestock feed. It prefers well-drained, alkaline soils in cool climates, and is sensitive to frost damage. Therefore, it was a difficult pasture grass to grow in Japan. However, its planting is spreading due to breed improvement.
Japanese name of Alfalfa
Alfalfa’s Japanese name means “violet color that makes horses fat”. This is because many of the Medicago genus have yellow flowers, but it has violet flowers. And horses like to eat it and get fat. In addition to protein, it is rich in minerals such as calcium, and is called the “King of Fodder” because it is used worldwide for pastures such as cattle and sheep.
English name of Alfalfa
The English name Alfalfa comes from the Arabic “alfasfasah”, which means the best fodder. The Latin genus name Medicago comes from the ancient West Asian kingdom “Media”. Or, it also has the meaning of “medicine” because people eat it and become healthy. The specific epithet Sativa means “cultivation”.
Figure of Alfalfa
Alfalfa roots grow deep to soften the soil. It coexists with root nodule bacteria to fix nitrogen in the air and fertilize the soil. The stems are vigorously branched and spread sideways, and the leaves are alternate those are compound leaves with three elongated leaflets. The flower blooms with small butterfly-shaped flowers gathered in a spiral at the tip of the stem. Post-flower legumes contain hard seeds in spiral sheaths.
Use of Alfalfa
Alfalfa seedlings about a week after sowing can be eaten as sprouts rich in vitamins and minerals in salads and soups. In addition, the stems and leaves are distributed as supplements claiming various health benefits. On the other hand, it also contains the toxic amino acid “canavanine”, so be careful not to overdo it.
