Taxon:  Melilotus indicus (L.) All.



Summary
Genus:
Melilotus
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Trifolieae
Nomen number:
24000
Place of publication:
Fl. pedem. 1:308.  1785 "indica"
Verified:
08/25/1989 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
121 (76  active, 75  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Melilotus indicus (L.) All. var. indicus (0 active accession[s])
Melilotus indicus (L.) All. var. tommasinii (Jord.) O. E. Schulz (0 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
  3. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  4. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
  5. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  6. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  7. Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
  8. Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
  9. Cronquist, A. et al. 1972-. Intermountain flora.
  10. Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 145.
  11. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  12. Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
  13. Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance Note: = Melilotus indica
  14. Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2.
  15. Everest, S. L. 1981. Poisonous plants of Australia. Note: poisonous
  16. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  17. Graham, E. H. 1941. Legumes for erosion control and wildlife. USDA Misc. Publ. 412.
  18. Hacker, J. B. 1990. A guide to herbaceous and shrub legumes of Queensland University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Australia.
  19. Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
  20. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  21. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  22. Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
  23. Inst. Bot. V. L. Komarova, Acad. Sci. URSS. 1963-. Plantae asiae centralis.
  24. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  25. International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
  26. Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
  27. Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
  28. Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa Note: poisonous
  29. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  30. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  31. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  32. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  33. Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
  34. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  35. Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
  36. Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.).
  37. Pammel, L. H. 1911. Manual of poisonous plants. Note: poisonous
  38. Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia.
  39. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  40. Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979-1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones.
  41. Press, J. R. & M. J. Short, eds. 1994. Flora of Madeira.
  42. Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
  43. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  44. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  45. Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
  46. Small, E. et al. 1981. The taxonomic value of floral characters in tribe Trigonelleae (Leguminosae), with special reference to Medicago. Canad. J. Bot. 59:1581.
  47. Smythies, B. E. 1984-1986. Flora of Spain and the Balearic Islands: checklist of vascular plants. Englera 3:1-882.
  48. Stace, C. 1995. New flora of the British Isles.
  49. Stevenson, G. A. 1969. An agronomic and taxonomic review of the genus Melilotus Mill. Canad. J. Pl. Sci. 49:12.
  50. Täckholm, V. 1974. Students' flora of Egypt, ed. 2.
  51. Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
  52. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  53. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  54. University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. UC SAREP on-line cover crop database (on-line resource).
  55. Voronchikhin, V. V. & N. A. Basilevskaya. 1974. Opredelenie sornykh vidov roda Melilotus Adans. po plodam i semenam. (Identification of weed plants from the genus Melilotus Adans. with the help of their pods and seeds). Vestn. Moskovsk. Univ., Ser. 6, Biol. 29:37.
  56. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  57. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  58. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
  59. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
  60. 2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishCalifornia lucerne  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
EnglishHexham-scent  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
EnglishHexham-scent melilot  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
EnglishIndian sweet-clover  1Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
EnglishKing Island melilot  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
EnglishKing Island-clover  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Englishsmall melilot  1Stace, C. 1995. New flora of the British Isles.
Englishsour-clover  1Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Arabichandaquq  2Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
Arabicnafal  2Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
English (Canada)annual yellow sweet-clover Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada official name2Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 145.
Frenchmélilot de l' Inde  2Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
Frenchmélilot des Indes  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French (Canada)mélilot d’Inde Agriculture & Agroalimentaire Canada nom officiel2Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 145.
Germankleinblütiger Steinklee  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Indiasenji  2Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance Note: = Melilotus indica
Italianmeliloto a fioro piccolo  2International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Japanese Rōmajiko-shinagawa-hagi  2Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.).
Portuguesetrevo-de-cheiro  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishdvärgsötväppling  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chineseyin du cao mu xi  2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt   
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979-1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones.
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaBahrain  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaKuwait  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian FederationDagestan Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaXizang Zizhiqu Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaKazakhstan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaTajikistan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaTurkmenistan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaUzbekistan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaAfghanistan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaEgyptSinai Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIraq  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaLebanon  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaSyria  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece incl. CreteTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance incl. CorsicaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain incl. BalearesTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalAzores Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalMadeira Islands Press, J. R. & M. J. Short, eds. 1994. Flora of Madeira.
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
4NaturalizedAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth Africa  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4NaturalizedAfricaWestern Indian OceanMauritius  Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
4NaturalizedAfricaWestern Indian OceanReunion  Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand   
4NaturalizedEuropeNorthern EuropeUnited Kingdom   
4NaturalizedNorthern America Mexico   
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States   
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii  
4NaturalizedSouthern America South America s. 
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanWest Indies   
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Bahrain, Kuwait
  • WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt [Sinai], Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
  • CAUCASUS: Azerbaijan, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
  • MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
  • CHINA: China [Xizang Zizhiqu]
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Nepal, Pakistan
Europe
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily)
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Azores, Madeira Islands]
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Mauritius, Reunion
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
Northern America
  • REGION: Mexico, United States
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: West Indies
  • REGION: South America (s.)

Reference(s)
  1. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
  2. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  3. Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
  4. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  5. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  6. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  7. Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
  8. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  9. Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979-1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones.
  10. Press, J. R. & M. J. Short, eds. 1994. Flora of Madeira.
  11. Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
  12. Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
  13. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  14. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodforage Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance Note: = Melilotus indica
Animal foodforage Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Bee plantshoney production Hacker, J. B. 1990. A guide to herbaceous and shrub legumes of Queensland University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Australia.
Environmentalerosion control Graham, E. H. 1941. Legumes for erosion control and wildlife. USDA Misc. Publ. 412.
Environmentalsoil improver University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. UC SAREP on-line cover crop database (on-line resource).
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Pammel, L. H. 1911. Manual of poisonous plants. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Everest, S. L. 1981. Poisonous plants of Australia. Note: poisonous
Weedseed contaminantpotentialHolm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
Weedseed contaminantpotentialWeber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=24000. Accessed 12 May 2026.