Melilotus indicus
Melilotus indicus
(L.) All., Fl. Pedem. 1: 308. 1785; Ali in Nasir & Ali, Fl. W. Pak. 100: 308. 1977; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t.68.1983; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 264. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 283. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 553; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 308; Melilotus parviflorus Desf., Fl. Alt. 2: 192. 1799; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 89. 1879; Trigonella melilotus indica L., Sp. Pl. 765. 1753.
Erect, 20-90 cm high, nearly glabrous, annual or biennial herb. Leaves pinnately trifoliate; petioles 1.5-4.8 cm long, with adaxial groove; leaflets 1-3 mm x 0.5-1.4 cm, oblanceolate, obovate or elliptic-oblong, cuneate at base, apex obtuse, truncate or emarginate, dentate in upper 1/2 or 3/4 part; lower leaflet surface scanty hairy; petiolule of middle leaflet 2-6 mm, 1 mm of laterals; stipules 4-6 mm long, lanceolate, acute. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, +/-3 mm long, yellow, 10-32 in racemes, racemes smaller than subtending leaf. Peduncle 2-4.5 cm long, rachis hairy. Pedicels 0.8-1.2 mm long. Bracts ca. 0.5 mm long, subulate. Sepals 5, fused; calyx 1-2 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip bifid with smaller teeth than the other 3 teeth of lower lip, teeth 0.5-1.0 mm long, deltoid, acute, persistent, hairy without. Corolla papilionaceous, yellow; vexillum oblong, ca. 2.5 mm x 1.5 mm, not clawed, apex emarginate; wings ca. 2.5 mm long, narrow, oblong, clawed, auriculate; keel ca. 2.25 mm, broadly falcate. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free, staminal sheath 1.5 mm long; anthers uniform. Ovary 1 mm long, unilocular with few ovules, placentation marginal; style straight, linear, 1 mm long; stigma simple. Legumes 2.5-3.5 mm long, sessile, ovoid-ellipsoid, reticulately ribbed, glabrous, reddish when ripe, with persistent calyx and style, 1-seeded. Seeds ca. 2 mm x 1.5 mm, broadly ovoid, glabrous, light brown or black.
Common Names: Indian Sweet Clover, Yellow Sweet Clover, Small Melilot; Ban Methi, Morila, Senji Methi (Hindi)
