alfalfan
Alfalfan is a fictional class of plant-derived compounds used in speculative science and worldbuilding to illustrate how alfalfa-based chemistry could influence plant physiology. The term combines alfalfa (Medicago sativa) with the common chemical-class suffix -an and has no standing in real-world chemistry. In educational contexts, Alfalfan is described as a family of water-soluble secondary metabolites that accumulate in alfalfa leaves under environmental stress.
Classification and properties: In fictional treatments, Alfalfan compounds are depicted as a broad, non-specific class with
Applications and interpretation: Alfalfan is used as a conceptual device to discuss plant metabolic networks, trait
See also: Alfalfa; Medicago sativa; plant secondary metabolites; glycosides; drought tolerance.