MELILOTUS SICULUS

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names:- Sicilian melilot

Homotypic Synonyms:- Trifolium siculum, Trigonella sicula.

Meaning:- Melilotus (Gr) Honey-clover. A name used by the Greek academic

Theophrastus and refers to melilot's attractiveness to honeybees.

Siculus (L) from Sicily, Sicilian.

General description:- Erect or ascending annual

Stems:-

1) 20-40 cm., branched.

Leaves:-

1) Leaflets, obovate-orbicular or lanceolate-cuneate, serrate.

2) Stipules, lower, triangular-lanceolate, denticulate, the upper lanceolate, entire

but denticulate at the base.

Flowers:-

1) Racemes, 0·7-1 cm, 3- to 10-flowered, shorter than their subtending leaves.

2) Corolla, 4-5 mm, yellow,

a) standard and keel subequal, longer than the wings.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 5-8 mm, oblique-ovoid, acute, concentric-striate, yellowish-brown when

ripe.

Key features:-

1) Legume, concentric-striate; acute.

2) Racemes, much shorter than subtending leaf.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Salines and damp meadows by the sea, rarely in ruderal habitats a short

distance inland up to 200 m.

Distribution:- Scattered in W Greece, Mediterranean region and SW Asia. Limited

distribution on Crete mainly around coastal areas in the east.

Flowering time:- Apr-May.

Photo by:- Dr. Armin Jagel