Summary
Place of publication:
Fl. pedem. 1:308. 1785 "indica"
Verified:
08/25/1989
ARS Systematic Botanists.
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Reference(s)
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Common names
English
California lucerne – Hexham-scent – Hexham-scent melilot – Indian sweet-clover – King Island melilot – King Island-clover – small melilot – sour-clover – Arabic
handaquq – nafal – English (Canada)
annual yellow sweet-clover – French
mélilot de l' Inde – mélilot des Indes – French (Canada)
mélilot d’Inde – German
kleinblütiger Steinklee – India
senji – Italian
meliloto a fioro piccolo – Japanese Rōmaji
ko-shinagawa-hagi – Portuguese
trevo-de-cheiro – Swedish
dvärgsötväppling – Transcribed Chinese
yin du cao mu xi –
Distribution
order_code | Status | Continent | Subcontinent | Country | State | Note |
1 | Native | Africa | Northern Africa | Algeria | | |
1 | Native | Africa | Northern Africa | Egypt | | |
1 | Native | Africa | Northern Africa | Libya | | |
1 | Native | Africa | Northern Africa | Morocco | | |
1 | Native | Africa | Northern Africa | Tunisia | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Arabian Peninsula | Bahrain | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Arabian Peninsula | Kuwait | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Caucasus | Azerbaijan | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Caucasus | Russian Federation | Dagestan | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | China | China | Xizang Zizhiqu | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Middle Asia | Kazakhstan | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Middle Asia | Tajikistan | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Middle Asia | Turkmenistan | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Middle Asia | Uzbekistan | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Afghanistan | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Cyprus | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Egypt | Sinai | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Iran | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Iraq | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Israel | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Lebanon | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Syria | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Temperate | Western Asia | Turkey | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indian Subcontinent | India | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | | |
1 | Native | Asia-Tropical | Indian Subcontinent | Pakistan | | |
1 | Native | Europe | Southeastern Europe | Albania | | |
1 | Native | Europe | Southeastern Europe | Former Yugoslavia | | |
1 | Native | Europe | Southeastern Europe | Greece | | incl. Crete |
1 | Native | Europe | Southeastern Europe | Italy | | incl. Sardinia, Sicily |
1 | Native | Europe | Southwestern Europe | France | | incl. Corsica |
1 | Native | Europe | Southwestern Europe | Portugal | | |
1 | Native | Europe | Southwestern Europe | Spain | | incl. Baleares |
2 | Cultivated | | | | | also cult. |
4 | Naturalized | Africa | Macaronesia | Portugal | Azores | |
4 | Naturalized | Africa | Macaronesia | Portugal | Madeira Islands | |
4 | Naturalized | Africa | Macaronesia | Spain | Canarias | |
4 | Naturalized | Africa | Southern Africa | South Africa | | |
4 | Naturalized | Africa | Western Indian Ocean | Mauritius | | |
4 | Naturalized | Africa | Western Indian Ocean | Reunion | | |
4 | Naturalized | Australasia | Australia | Australia | | |
4 | Naturalized | Australasia | New Zealand | New Zealand | | |
4 | Naturalized | Europe | Northern Europe | United Kingdom | | |
4 | Naturalized | Northern America | | Mexico | | |
4 | Naturalized | Northern America | | United States | | |
4 | Naturalized | Pacific | North-Central Pacific | United States | Hawaii | |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | | South America | | s. |
4 | Naturalized | Southern America | Caribbean | West 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.)
Economic Uses
Usage | Type | Note | Reference |
Animal food | forage | | Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance Note: = Melilotus indica |
Animal food | forage | | Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds |
Bee plants | honey production | | Hacker, J. B. 1990. A guide to herbaceous and shrub legumes of Queensland University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Australia. |
Environmental | erosion control | | Graham, E. H. 1941. Legumes for erosion control and wildlife. USDA Misc. Publ. 412. |
Environmental | soil improver | | University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. UC SAREP on-line cover crop database (on-line resource). |
Medicines | folklore | | 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 poisons | mammals | | Pammel, L. H. 1911. Manual of poisonous plants. Note: poisonous |
Vertebrate poisons | mammals | | Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa Note: poisonous |
Vertebrate poisons | mammals | | Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous |
Vertebrate poisons | mammals | | Everest, S. L. 1981. Poisonous plants of Australia. Note: poisonous |
Weed | potential seed contaminant | | Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds |
Weed | potential seed contaminant | | Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds |
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System.
2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network
(GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://grip.mawarid.gov.om/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=24000.
Accessed 29 May 2025.