Melilotus Indica on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
''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
It also has alpha-amylase inhibitory activitie
because of which it may be useful for type 2 diabetes.
Jepson Manual Treatment
{{Taxonbar, from=Q159138 Trifolieae Flora of Europe Flora of Asia Flora of North Africa Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
''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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand, where it is naturalised, it is sometimes called King Island melilot or King Island clover.
Description
It is an annual or biennial herb from in height (rarely to one metre), with yellow flowers. Similar to ''Melilotus altissima'' Thuill. in general. The flowers are 2 – 3 mm long they produces a hairless pod of similar length.Webb, D.A., Parnell, J. and Doogue, D. 1996. ''An Irish Flora.'' Dundalgan Press Ltd., Dundalk.Taxonomy
It was first published as ''Trifolium indicum'' by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 ''Species plantarum
' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...
''. It was transferred into '' Melilotus'' by Carlo Allioni
Carlo Allioni (23 September 1728 in Turin – 30 July 1804 in Turin) was an Italian physician and professor of botany at the University of Turin. His most important work was ''Flora Pedemontana, sive enumeratio methodica stirpium indigenarum P ...
in 1785.
Distribution and habitat
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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand.
Uses and economic importance
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. In Pakistan, Melilotus indicus is called sinji, which is used as a vegetable. It has many medicinal uses. It has antioxidant propertieIt also has alpha-amylase inhibitory activitie
because of which it may be useful for type 2 diabetes.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment
{{Taxonbar, from=Q159138 Trifolieae Flora of Europe Flora of Asia Flora of North Africa Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus