Melilotus Miller

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1981, Flora Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae, Cambridge University Press : 148-149

54. Melilotus Miller 1

Annual, biennial or short-lived perennial herbs. Leaves 3- foliolate; leaflets usually toothed. Flowers in axillary racemes. Calyx-teeth subequal; corolla yellow or white, rarely tinged with blue or violet, deciduous, free from the staminal tube; stamens diadelphous, the filaments not dilated. Legume globose to obovoid, rarely lanceolate-rhomboid, straight, indéhiscent or very tardily dehiscent. Seeds 1-2, rarely more.

Several species are cultivated locally as fodder, and occur frequently as casuals outside the geographical limits given below.

Many species smell strongly of coumarin, especially when dry. Literature: O.E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. 29: 660-735 (1901).

1 Corolla white, tinged with blue or violet (Turkey) 16. physocarpa 1 Corolla white or yellow, without a blue or violet tinge 2 Stipules of the middle leaves entire or minutely denticulate 3 Corolla white 4 Ovary and young legume pubescent; legume with conspicuous transverse veins 7. taurica 4 Ovary and young legume glabrous; legume reticulateveined 5 Pedicels 1-1-5 mm 3. alba

5 Pedicels 2-4 mm 4. wolgica 3 Corolla yellow 6 Corolla 2-3 mm; legume 1-5-3 mm 10. indica 6 Corolla 3-9 mm; legume 3-8 mm 7 Racemes with not more than 10 flowers

8 Racemes 4-6 cm; legume 7-8 mm, lanceolaterhomboid 6. polonica

8 Racemes c. 1 cm; legume 3-3-5 mm, globose with a short beak 9. neapolitana

7 Racemes with at least 10 flowers

9 Ovary and young legume glabrous; legume with transverse veins

10 Biennial; legume with indistinct transverse veins

5. officinalis

10 Annual; legume with very prominent transverse veins

11. elegans

9 Ovary and young legume pubescent; legume reticulateveined

11 Biennial or perennial; legume flattened 2. altissima

11 Annual; legume globose 9. neapolitana

2 Stipules of the middle leaves toothed 12 Legume reticulate-veined 13 Corolla 3-3-5 mm; legume faintly veined, compressed

1. dentata

13 Corolla 6-9 mm; legume foveolate-rugose, globose 8. italica 12 Legume concentric-striate 14 Racemes much shorter than subtending leaf; legume acute

15. messanensis

14 Racemes in fruit at least as long as subtending leaf; legume rounded at apex

15 Standard as long as or longer than keel; legume blackish-brown 12. infesta

15 Standard shorter than keel; legume yellowish-brown

16 Corolla 3-4 mm; legume broadly sessile; leaflets oblong-cuneate 13. sulcata

16 Corolla 4-8 mm; legume stipitate; leaflets obovatecuneate 14. segetalis