Flora of North America species comparison

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Melilotus sulcatus

furrowed melilot, grooved melilot, Mediterranean sweetclover
Habit Herbs annual, 10–70 cm.
Stems

erect or ascending.
Leaves

stipules ovate-acuminate or subulate, 5–10 mm, margins dentate (mostly at base);

leaflet blades obovate, oblanceolate, or oblong-cuneate, 10–25 × 5–12 mm, margins dentate.
Racemes

(5–)8–20(–50)-flowered.
Pedicels

1–2 mm.
Flowers

(2.5–)3–4(–8) mm;

corolla yellow;

ovary glabrous.
Legumes

globose or ovoid, (2–)3–4(–5.5) mm, concentrically striate-veined, glabrous.
Seeds

1(or 2), oblong-subglobose or ovoid, (2–)2.5–3(–3.5) mm.
2n

= 16 [Eurasia].

Melilotus sulcatus
Phenology Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Ruderal areas.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; NJ; PA; Europe; Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In Europe, Melilotus sulcatus appears to intergrade or at least hybridize with M. infestus Gussone [M. sulcatus subsp. infestus (Gussone) Bonnier & Layens] and M. segetalis (Brotero) Seringe [M. sulcatus subsp. segetalis (Brotero) P. Fournier].

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Melilotus
Sibling taxa
M. albus, M. altissimus, M. indicus, M. officinalis, M. wolgicus
Synonyms Trigonella sulcata
Name authority Desfontaines: Fl. Atlant. 2: 193. (1799) — (as sulcata)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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