Medicago
/ˌmɛdɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/noun
A genus of flowering plants in the pea family, including alfalfa and related medicks.
Did you know?Medicago comes from Greek and Latin botanical tradition: the name originally meant a plant from Media, the ancient region in western Iran, not a spell or curse, though its ancient geographic label still carries that old-world mystique.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μηδική πόα (mēdikḗ póa)
“"Median grass," a plant associated with the region of Media”
Classical Latin
Latin
medica
“A fodder plant, especially alfalfa or lucerne, borrowed from Greek botanical usage”
Late Latin
Latin
Medicago
“A botanical name formed for the genus of medick plants”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
Medicago
“The standardized genus name in botanical classification”