Melilotus, known as melilot or sweet clover is a genus of legumes in the family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. The genus is closely related to Trifolium (clovers). Several species are common grassland plants and weeds of cultivated ground, and some species are now found worldwide as naturalised plants.
The scientific and English names both derive from Greek melílōtos from méli (honey), and lōtos (lotus), via Latin melilōtos and Old French mélilot. The alternative name "sweet clover" varies in orthography, also cited as sweet-clover and sweetclover. Other names include "kumoniga", from the Cumans.
Description
The species are annual, biennial, or perennial herbaceous plants, growing to 50–150 cm (20–59 in) tall, with trifoliate leaves similar to clover but narrower, the leaflets only about half as wide as long, and with a serrated margin; each leaf also has two small basal stipules. The flowers are similar to clover flowers, but produced in open racemes 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) or more long, rather than the dense ovoid heads of Trifolium species; they are mostly white or yellow. The seeds are produced singly or in pairs in small pods 1.5–5 mm long.
Species
The genus Melilotus currently has 23 accepted species and two natural hybrids:
