Flora of North America species comparison

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Trigonella caerulea

blue fenugreek
Habit Herbs 20–60(–100) cm, sparsely pubescent.
Stems

erect, densely branched.
Leaves

stipules triangular-lanceolate, margins dentate;

leaflet blades ovate to oblong, (10–)20–40(–50) × (5–)10–20(–35) mm, margins denticulate.
Inflorescences

20–30-flowered, globose racemes, slightly elongated in fruit.
Peduncles

2–5 cm.
Flowers

5.5–6.5 mm;

calyx lobes nearly equal to tube;

corolla blue, pale blue, or white.
Legumes

erect-spreading, rhomboid-obovate, flattened, 4–5 × 3 mm, with short, abrupt beak 2–3 mm.
Seeds

1 or 2(or 3), brownish, ovoid, 2 mm.
2n

= 16.

Trigonella caerulea
Phenology Flowering early–late summer.
Habitat Roadsides, waste areas, fields.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; MD; NY; AB; MB; SK; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in n Africa]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A specimen of Trigonella caerulea from Ontario (in DAO) is a garden escape.

Trigonella caerulea, a cultigen believed to have been derived from T. procumbens, is not thought to have an indigenous range; it is widely grown and naturalized or casual in Europe, present in North Africa, and only occasionally collected as a ruderal in North America.

Trigonella caerulea is a minor culinary herb; the dried, powdered leaves and flowers are used as a condiment in breads, soups, and teas, and especially to flavor cheeses.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trigonella
Sibling taxa
T. corniculata, T. foenum-graecum, T. procumbens
Synonyms Trifolium caeruleum
Name authority (Linnaeus) Seringe in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 2: 181. (1825) — (as coerulea)
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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