Medicago sativa, Alfalfa, (Fabaceae, the Bean Family), to 1 m in height, blue flowers, habitat: escaped from cultivation, throughout US. (102, 103).
It is high in vitamins A, D, and K, and has been used to encourage blood clotting, lowers cholesterol and produces comesterol (97, 267).
Melilotus alba, White sweet clover, (Fabaceae, the Bean Family), to 1-3 m in height, white flowers, habitat: Native or Europe, established as a weed along roadsides and waste places, especially calcareous soil (102, 103).
Navajo Indians drank plant tea for colds brought on by being chilled. Iroquois used it externally on acne and sunburn. Keres Indians used the plant as a bedbug repellent. In animal studies, components of sweet clover has been found to lower blood pressure (88).
Known to produce coumarinic (C9H6O2) and melilotic acids (174, 238).
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