Burke Herbarium Image Collection

Vascular Plants, Macrofungi, & Lichenized Fungi of Washington

Vascular Plants » Dicots » Fabaceae » Melilotus:

Melilotus indicus

small flowered yellow sweet clover, Indian sweet-clover

Image © Richard Old

WTU specimens

Other herbaria

Distribution: Sparingly introduced in western Washington and Oregon, more common in California.

Habitat: Waste ground, disturbed soil.

Flowers: May - July

Origin: Introduced

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Description:

General:

Glabrous annual or biennial, the stem up to 1 m. tall, branched above.

Leaves:

Leaves trifoliate, leaflets lanceolate, serrulate only on the upper half.

Flowers:

Inflorescence of several elongate, spike-like racemes 2-8 cm. long arising in the leaf axils, with small, linear bracts; flowers small, pea-like, yellow, 2-3 mm. long; calyx teeth 5, equal, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse.

Fruits:

Pod 2-2.5 mm. long.

Accepted Name:

Melilotus indicus (L.) All.
Publication: Fl. Pedem. 1: 308. 1785.

Synonyms & Misapplications:

Melilotus indica (L.) All., orthographic variant [HC]

Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Melilotus indicus in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Melilotus indicus checklist entry.

E-Flora BC: Melilotus indicus atlas page.

CalPhotos: Melilotus indicus photos.

USDA Plants: Melilotus indicus information.

9 photographs:

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