Melilotus indicus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Melilotus |
Species: | M. indicus |
Binomial name | |
Melilotus indicus | |
Varieties | |
M. indicus var. indicus | |
Synonyms | |
Melilotus parviflorusDesf. Contents |
Melilotus indicus, sometimes incorrectly written Melilotus indica, is a yellow-flowered herb native to northern Africa, Europe and Asia, but naturalized throughout the rest of the world.
Common names in English include sweet clover (or sweet-clover), sour clover (sour-clover, sourclover), Indian sweet-clover, annual yellow sweetclover, Bokhara clover, small-flowered sweet clover, common melilot, small-flowered melilot, small melilot, sweet melilot, Californian lucerne and Hexham scent. In Australia and New Zealand, where it is naturalised, it is sometimes called King Island melilot or King Island clover. [1] [2] [3]
It is an annual or biennial herb from 10 to 50 centimetres (3.9 to 19.7 inches) in height (rarely to one metre), with trifoliate leaves and small yellow flowers borne in dense racemes. [4] Similar to Melilotus altissima Thuill. in general. The flowers are 2 – 3 mm long and produce a hairless pod of similar length. [5] Its leaves have a sweet, cloying scent when crushed.
It was first published as Trifolium indicum by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 Species plantarum . It was transferred into Melilotus by Carlo Allioni in 1785. [6]
It has a wide native distribution, ranging from Macaronesia and northern Africa, through Europe, and into temperate and tropical Asia. It is naturalised throughout most of the rest of the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, South America, Australia and New Zealand. [1]
It is used as a source of nectar for bees, as forage, and as a soil improver. It is also used in folk medicine. It is poisonous to some mammals, and is a potential seed crop contaminant. [1]
In Pakistan, Melilotus indicus is called sinji, which is used as a vegetable. It has many medicinal uses. It has antioxidant properties . It also has alpha-amylase inhibitory activities , because of which it may be useful for type 2 diabetes.
Melilotus, known as melilot, sweet clover, and kumoniga, is a genus in the family Fabaceae. Members are known as common grassland plants and as weeds of cultivated ground. Originally from Europe and Asia, it is now found worldwide.
Diplarrena is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The two species are endemic to Australia. The name is from Greek diploos ("double") and arren ("male"); plants in the genus have only two functional stamens, while all other Iridaceae have three. The name is often misspelled Diplarrhena, an error that began with George Bentham's Flora Australiensis in 1873.
Hakea drupacea, commonly known as sweet-scented hakea, is a tree or shrub which is native to south west Western Australia.
Angophora hispida grows as a mallee, or as a tree to about 7 m (25 ft) in height. A. hispida's small size, especially when compared to its Angophora and Eucalyptus relatives, leads to it being known by the common name dwarf apple. It is native to a relatively small patch of central New South Wales – from just south of Sydney up to the Gosford area. The plant's leaves are sessile (stalk-less) and hug the stem with heart-shaped bases. Its previous name – A. cordifolia – referred to these cordate leaves. Another distinctive feature are the red bristly hairs that cover the branchlets, flower bases and new growth. This leads to the specific epithet hispida.
Orthrosanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae first described as a genus in 1827. It is native to Australia, Mexico, Central and South America.
Scleranthus, the knawels, are a genus of herbaceous plants in the family Caryophyllaceae.
Hibiscus diversifolius, the swamp hibiscus, is a widespread species of hibiscus. It grows to between 1 and 2 metres in height, with prickly stems and yellow flowers with a maroon basal spot during spring summer.
Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum is the subspecies of Disphyma crassifolium that occurs in Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes known by the common name rounded noon-flower
Sesuvium portulacastrum is a sprawling perennial herb in the family Aizoaceae that grows in coastal and mangrove areas throughout much of the world. It grows in sandy clay, coastal limestone and sandstone, tidal flats and salt marshes, throughout much of the world. It is native to Africa, Asia, Australia, Hawai`i, North America and South America, and has naturalised in many places where it is not indigenous.
Tetragonia decumbens is a coastal shrub, native to southern Africa.
Atherosperma moschatum, the southern sassafras or blackheart sassafras, is an evergreen tree native to the cool temperate rainforests of Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales in Australia. It is common in the rainforests of Tasmania and Victoria, but more scattered and rare in the higher altitudes of eastern New South Wales. The northernmost area is at Mount Grundy, west of Port Macquarie.
Euchiton sphaericus, the star cudweed or tropical creeping cudweed, is a herb native to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Taiwan, Java, and Philippines. It has become naturalized in a few places in the United States.
Plantago debilis is a species of herb native to Australia. Common names include shade plantain and weak plantain.
Aizoon pubescens is a low-growing perennial herb in the family Aizoaceae. It is native to South Africa and naturalised elsewhere.
Parsonsia brownii, commonly known as twining silkpod or mountain silkpod, is a woody vine of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It occurs in rainforest in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia.
Hakea gibbosa, commonly known as hairy hakea or needlebush hakea, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae, and is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has very prickly foliage, cream-yellowish flowers from April to July, and provides shelter for small birds. It has become an environmental weed in South Africa and New Zealand, where it had been introduced for use as a hedge plant.
Gmelina fasciculiflora, known as the northern white beech is a species of trees endemic to the Queensland tropical rain forests, Australia, of the mint (Lamiaceae) plant family. It is one of four recognised species of the genus Gmelina found in Australia.
Petrorhagia nanteuilii is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Common names include childing pink, productive carnation, proliferous pink and wild carnation. P. nanteuilii in the British Isles was formerly not reliably separated from P. prolifera but now the two are recorded as separate species. Because of this the commonly used name proliferous pink is probably not correct for this taxon. It is an annual that grows to 50 cm tall. Leaves are linear, opposite and stem clasping. Small pink flowers are produced in small ovoid heads, with usually only one flower visible at a time. These are followed by ovoid seed capsules.
Pterostylis plumosa, commonly known as the bearded greenhood or plumed greenhood is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae which is endemic to south-eastern Australia and possibly New Zealand. Its labellum or lip is long and thin, bordered with golden hairs, giving it the name "bearded".
Hybanthus stellarioides, commonly known as spade flower is an annual herb of the genus Hybanthus, native to Australia.