yellow sweet-clover
Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.
Description from Invasive.org
- Appearance
- Melilotus alba is an annual to biennial herb that can grow from 3-8 ft. (0.9-2.4 m) tall.
- Foliage
- Leaves are alternate, trifoliate with petioles up to 1 in. (2.5 cm) long. Leaflets are greyish green, 1 in. (2.5 cm) long and 0.3 in. (0.85 cm) wide, dentate, and oblong to ovate.
- Flowers
- Racemes are 2-6 in. (5.1-15.2 cm) long. Flowers are small, floppy, tubular at base becoming broader toward outer edges, 0.3 in. (0.85 cm) long with 5 petals. Blooming occurs from summer through fall.
- Fruit
- Seed pods are smooth or slightly reticulated, 0.3 in. (0.85 cm) long, terminates in a beak, and contains 1 or 2 seeds.
- Ecological Threat
- Melilotus alba can be found in prairies, fields, vacant lots, along roadsides, and in waste lands. It is native to Europe and Asia.
Resources
- Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images from Invasive.org
View All Images at Invasive.org
Plant(s) in flower
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s)
University of Alaska , University of Alaska - Anchorage, Bugwood.org
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University of Alaska , University of Alaska - Anchorage, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s) side view of whole plant in typical habitat
Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service (retired), Bugwood.org
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Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service (retired), Bugwood.org
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Flower(s)
Jamie Nielsen, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service, Bugwood.org
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Jamie Nielsen, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service, Bugwood.org
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Foliage Sweetclover - left; alfalfa - right
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Flower(s)
Jamie Nielsen, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Jamie Nielsen, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Flower(s)
Bonnie Million, Bureau of Land Management, Bugwood.org
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Bonnie Million, Bureau of Land Management, Bugwood.org
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Fruit(s) net-veined pods
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Seed(s) Close-up of hilar region.
D. Walters and C. Southwick, USDA, Bugwood.org
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D. Walters and C. Southwick, USDA, Bugwood.org
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Seed(s) Seeds positioned on one of their faces with hilar notch pointing up. Note shallow, pale groove running from the hilum towards narrow end of the seed. Radicle is on the right.
D. Walters and C. Southwick, USDA, Bugwood.org
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D. Walters and C. Southwick, USDA, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage