OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Melilotus albus   FAMILY Fabaceae   Go to FSUS key



INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Melilotus officinalis   FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Melilotus officinalis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)

Melilotus albus

SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-15-003:

Melilotus alba   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Melilotus alba

 

COMMON NAME:
White Sweetclover, White Melilot


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_meal12_001_lvd

        

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_meal12_008_lvd

        

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

Keith Bradley    kab_melilotus_albus_72781

February    Miami-Dade County    FL

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

Roxanna Martin    rlm53010_675

May    Spartanburg County    SC

M. albus & officinalis are apparently incompatible should not be synonymized, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

Roxanna Martin    rlm53010_679

May    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

JK Marlow    jkm0506k_01

June    Union County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Tyger Ranger District

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

JK Marlow    jkm060607_015

June    Greenville County    SC

Field

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

JK Marlow    jkm140623_188

June    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Flowers white, pea-like, 0.25" long, borne in narrow loose racemes, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

JK Marlow    jkm140623_188b

June    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Calyx lobes deltoid to subulate, 0.5-1mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

Roxanna Martin    rlm61210_98

June    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

Roxanna Martin    rlm6410_313

June    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

Roxanna Martin    rlm6410_314

June    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

JK Marlow    s050625_d

June    Union County    

Leaves stalked and trifoliate with lance-shaped leaflets 0.4-1" long, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE leaves that are trifoliolate and pinnately compound

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

JK Marlow    s050625_d1

June    Union County    

image of Melilotus albus, White Sweetclover, White Melilot

JK Marlow    jkm0507d_34

July    Fayette County    WV

Roadside

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Melilotus albus   FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Melilotus officinalis   FAMILY Fabaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Melilotus officinalis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Melilotus albus

SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-15-003:
Melilotus alba   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Melilotus alba

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

925

Forb
Biennial

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora

Non-native: Eurasia

Common

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.


INVASIVE

This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:

 

LEAVES:
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Mostly alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
White
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
Superior ovary

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Dark brown/ Blackish
Legume

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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