Medicago

Abstract

Medicago truncatula, an important member of the legume family (Fabaceae) known for its ability to produce high protein-containing crops, typically has a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing Rhizobia bacteria, can regenerate soil fertility, and synthesize a broad range of medically important phytochemicals. The Medicago genus has 83 species of mainly annual flowering plants including some perennial and even pluriannual plants that can be diploids, tetraploids, or hexaploides. Two best known members of this genus are Medicago sativa (common name alfalfa) and M. truncatula, the former for its agricultural significance and the latter as a completely sequenced model legume that can serve as a reference for all legumes. In this chapter, we describe the phylogenetic relationship and evolution of Medicago genus, cytogenetic studies done for several species, highlight M. truncatula sequencing effort, compare its genome to other sequenced legume genomes, and emphasize the importance of M. truncatula on genetic analyses and improvement of cultivated legume crops.