Medicago sativa L.
Annotated by Ian Troester-Solbrig, 2013. Sources: FPNW.

Idaho: Bannock County: Lower City Creek Area. Elev. 4600 ft.
42° 51.178' N, 112° 26.981' W
Uncertainty: 17 meters. Coordinate Source: GPS.
Mostly sunny, moderately vegetated opening to primary City Creek valley. Growing in lightly disturbed soil about 5 meters from trail and 15 meters from creek with balsamroot, hounds tongue, snowberry, roses, russian olive, and other deciduous shrubs and trees. M. sativa contains saponins that prevent the absorption of cholesterol in the gut. Rats fed with alfalfa meal consistently absorbed less than 40% of the cholesterol absorbed by rats on a semipurified diet. M. sativa contains antifungal compounds that have been shown to cure mycotic skin lesions in guinea pigs and prolong the lives of mice infected with various fungi in laboratory settings. M. sativa has been shown to reduce blood glucose levels and slightly increase serum insulin levels in diabetic laboratory mice. M. sativa can induce systemic lupus erythematosus and other auto-immune conditions in monkeys. L-canavanine, a compound found in M. sativa, has been shown to increase the release of immunoglobulin G (IgG, a common immunogenic chemical in humans) by human cells in vitro. The saponin in M. sativa encourages the breakdown of red blood cells in livestock and can cause pancytopenia in humans. M. sativa has large amounts of Vitamin K, a substance used by the human body to clot blood. Vitamin K decreases the effectiveness of anticoagulant medication like warfarin. Phenology: Flowers.

Ian Troester-Solbrig 5, Jun 3, 2013
IDS, Barcode: IDS0067638