alfalfa; lucerne
Refers to the plant Medicago sativa, commonly known as alfalfa or lucerne.
Alfalfa is widely cultivated as livestock feed.
Katakana spelling, commonly used for plant names.
Formed from 紫 “purple” and 馬肥, a name for fodder plants that fatten horses. The name refers to alfalfa’s purple flowers and use as horse feed.