Melilotus alba Medic. 1780 (1). M. alba Medic., Vorl. Churpf. Phys.-Ökon. Ges, II (1787) 382; Hayek, Prodr. Fl. Penins. Balc. I (1926) 846; Hansen, Fl. Eur. II (1968) 149 — Бяла комунига
Melilotus albus Medik. syn. Melilotus alba Medik
Fam: Leguminosae Juss. (Fabaceae)
Genus: Melilotus Mill.
Species: Melilotus alba Medic.
English Name: White sweetclover, White melilot, Bokhara clover
Description: Annuals plants. Stems erect or ascending, branched from the base, 40.0 - 70.0 (100.0) cm high, slightly ribbed or smooth, bare or sparsely spread fiber. Stipule fibrous, 3 - 5 times shorter than petiole, entire. Leaves longer than inflorescence stems, rarely equal it or shorter. Sheets (10.0) 14.0 - 18.0 (20.0) mm long and (3.0) 4.0 - 7.0 (9.0) mm wide, extended ovoid or wedge ovoid back, on top with very short small awn, feather-like veined, wavy or more or less sharp, uneven, the base or middle serrated less blunt, entire, naked; the tems of the side leaflets 2 - 3 times shorter than the stem of the middle leaflet, the last 5 to many times shorter than the petiole. Inflorescence (3.0) 5.0 - 8.0 (12.0) cm long, with many flowers, loose, thin, fiber axis. Bracts tunicates, linear to linear wedge, shorter than blossom stems. Blossom stems naked, equal in length of the tube of of the calyx. Calyx constitutes a 1/3 of the length of blossom, more or less spread fiber; the tube bell-similar; triangular teeth lanceolate, equal in length to the tube, slightly unequal to one another, most often naked. Corolla 4.0 - 5.0 mm long, white. Flag from 3.5 - 4.0 mm long and 2.0 - 2.5 mm wide, rounded to elliptical, a little longer than the wings at the base quite short tapered, on top slightly concave. Wings equal to the keel, leaf blade linear, 2 times longer than the nail, tongue half of the nail. The keel on top blunt, leaf blade triangular elliptical, 2 times longer than the nail. Beans 3.0 - 4.0 (5.0) mm long and 2.0 - 2.5 mm wide, back ovoid, on top pointed, dark, spider veins, naked. Seeds 2.0 mm in diameter, rounded or slightly elongated, unilaterally flattened, brown, with more than half of his tour scar.
„Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976)* * *
Melilotus albus (Bokhara clover, honey clover, tree clover, sweet clover, white-flowered sweet clover, white sweet clover, white melilot), is a legume sometimes grown for forage. White sweet clover is a major source of nectar for an apiary. Its characteristic sweet odour, intensified by drying, is derived from coumarin.
White sweet clover is native to Europe and Asia. It was introduced to North America in the 17th century for cattle forage purposes and is now widespread throughout Canada and the United States, where it has become invasive and can outcompete native plant species. White sweet clover can grow up to 2 meters in height and can produce abundant amounts of seeds that readily float and disperse in water. This has allowed the plant to colonize natural habitat such as riparian areas all across much of North America.
Uses
It is favored for honey production and for its nitrogen fixing ability in preparing agricultural soil for future crops.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia* * *
Melilotus albus Medik. syn. Melilotus alba Medik
COMMON NAMES White sweetclover, White melilot, Bokhara clover
DESCRIPTION
Erect or ascending biennial, up to 1.5 m, with trifoliate leaves . Leaflets obovate, dentate in upper third and with terminal leaflet on longer petiole than lateral leaflets (a feature used to differentiate the plant from alfalfa , since both species have a similar appearance in the vegetative state). Single well-branched stem in establishment year but several stems originate from crown buds in following year. The succulent stems become fibrous with age. Deeply tap-rooted. Considerable root enlargement together with short rhizomes initiated from the plant crown take place in autumn of the establishment year. In contrast, annual sweetclovers have more aboveground forage and less root development in the year of sowing.
Inflorescences are elongated one-sided racemes of white flowers, 4–5 mm, borne on long axillary stalks. Indeterminate flowering, self-fertile. Seed pod has a reticulated, ridged coat which turns black with ripening and contains a single smooth, kidney-shaped seed, about 2 mm long, and brownish-yellow to brown. There is a high content of hard seed in harvested crops. In Argentina, Zimmermann et al. (1998) found the viability of hard seeds of white sweetclover to be 90 percent. Number of seeds kg-1: 395 000–575 000. Average 1000-seed weight: 2.1 g.
http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/Gbase/data/pf000488.htm* * * Flowering Time: Blooms: VI - IX, fruitful: VII - IX.
References: „Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976), Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/Gbase/data/pf000488.htm
Distribution in Bulgaria: It grows in wetland habitats in ditches near roads and in meadows. Widespread to 1500 meters altitude. (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution: Europe (without extreme north), Mediterranean, Southwest Asia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia.
Conservation status and threats: not protected species in Bulgaria by the Biodiversity Law. Законодателство на Република България: Закон за биологичното разнообразие
Medical plant: yes, it is - http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2134916096
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