Melilotus albus

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:FABACEAE
Species:Melilotus albus Medik.
Common Name:White Sweet Clover; White Melilot
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Biennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:MEAL2
Plant Notes:White Sweet Clover is an introduced herbaceous annual or biennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is native to Eurasian. White Sweet Clover has been widely planted for forage and for erosion control and now occurs in most temperate areas around the world. In Alabama it can be found statewide but is particularly common in central and northern Alabama in areas with clayey or limey soils. It occurs in pastures, on roadsides, along railroads, in cedar glades, and in prairies. White Sweet Clover is an annual or biennial with a tap root. The stems are 3-6 feet in height and often branched. The stems are green in color and glabrous. All parts of the plant are fragrant, and the odor intensifies when the plant is dried. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and trifoliate. The leaflets are oblong to lanceolate in outline, serrate or entire. The upper surface of the leaflet is dark green and glabrous and the lower surface in lighter green and pubescent with appressed hairs. Flowers are produced in narrow terminal racemes. The flowers are papilionaceous and white in color. The calyx has 5 teeth. The fruit is an ovoid legume containing 1-2 seed. White Sweet Clover is often planted for forage and along the sides of roads for erosion control. The roots form an association with rhizobial bacterial that fix nitrogen so White Sweet Clover can be used as a green manure to enrich the soil. It is considered an excellent nectar plant for honeybees. White Sweet Clover is a larval food plant for Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus), Clouded Sulfur (Colias philodice), and Orange Sulfur (Colias eurytheme) butterflies.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyFABACEAE - Pea/Bean family
Genus Melilotus
Species Melilotus albus Medik. - White Sweet Clover; White Melilot

Citation

Citation Melilotus albus Medikus, Vorles. Churpfälz. Phys.-Ökon. Ges. 2: 382. 1787.
Basionym: **
Type: **

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Medicago alba Medicago alba (Medikus) Krause, in Sturm, Deutschl. Fl., ed. 2. 9: 128. 1901.Melilotus albus Medikus 1787. 
Melilotus albus var. annuus Melilotus albus Medikus, var. annuus Coe, J. Amer. Soc. Agron. 9: 380. 1918.  
Melilotus leucanthus Melilotus leucanthus W. D. J. Koch ex de Candolle, in de Candolle & Lamarck, Fl. Franc. 4(2)("5"): 564. 1805.  
Melilotus melanospermus Melilotus melanospermus Besser ex Seringe, in de Candolle, Prodr. 2: 186. 1825.  
Melilotus rugulosus Melilotus rugulosus Willdenow, Enum. Pl. 789. 1809.  
Melilotus vulgaris Melilotus vulgaris (Hayne) Willdenow, Enum. Pl. 790. 1809.Trifolium vulgare Hayne 1808. 
Sertula alba Sertula alba (Medikus) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 205. 1891.Melilotus albus Medikus 1787. 
Trifolium album Trifolium album (Medikus) Loiseleur-Deslongchamps, Fl. Gall. 479. 1807, non Crantz 1769, nec Lamarck 1779.Melilotus albus Medikus 1787. 
Trifolium vulgare Trifolium vulgare Hayne, Neues J. Bot. 2: 336. 1808 ("1807").Trifolium vulgare Hayne 1808. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Calhoun, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Cullman, Dallas, Etowah, Greene, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Madison, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1951 - 1988

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
SAMF0001772 Jefferson 16 May 1955 Jones, Ross
s.n.		 SAMF
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00017652 St. Clair 24 Jun 1951 Hollis, C.G.
s.n.		 UNA
Melilotus albus Desr.
JSU135656 Etowah 11 May 1994 Hodge, Lesley M.
1458		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00017730 Tuscaloosa 18 May 1975 Hoener, Fred K.
1239		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135685 Shelby 5 Jun 1969 Clonts, Jerry A.
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00059357 St. Clair 19 Jun 2002 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11403		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135663 Jefferson 13 Jul 1984 Barber, J. Patrick
778		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135689 Talladega 28 Jun 1969 Bigbee, Diane
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0016810 Lawrence 17 Nov 2012 Horne, Howard E.
1955		 UWAL
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135671 Limestone 2 Jun 1997 Hofmann, Tim L.
547		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135651 Cleburne 25 May 1994 Hruska, Susan E.
200		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135673 Madison 22 Sep 1995 Whetstone, R. David
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00054622 Blount 16 Jun 1998 Keener, Brian R.
1020		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135667 Jefferson 23 Sep 1984 Bussey, Melanie G.
981		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135683 Randolph 15 Jul 1988 Nixon, Christopher F.
4031		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135670 Lee 26 Jun 1968 Johnson, Stephen C.
49-92		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
USAM000006542 Mobile 16 Apr 1976 LeLong, Michel G.
9126		 USAM
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135649 Calhoun 21 Jun 1969 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0047724 Lawrence 12 Jun 2008 England, J. Kevin
793		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medikus
JSU135657 Etowah 15 Jul 1969 Smith, Doris
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0016454 Montgomery 29 Jun 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25263		 UWAL
Melilotus alba Medik.
UWAL0050757 Jefferson 23 Sep 1967 Steeves, Burges R.
72		 UWAL
Meliletus alba
JSU135658 Jackson 20 Jun 1998 Brodeur, Kristin R.
834		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0035112 Morgan 10 Jun 2017 England, J. Kevin
8001		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medikus
USAM000006539 Limestone 19 Jun 1976 Ford, Susan
s.n.		 USAM
Melilotus albus Medik.
UNA00008886 Lowndes 09 Jul 1988 Burckhalter, Robert
1418		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
SAMF0001771 Walker 15 Jun 2010 Davenport, Lawrence J.
4322		 SAMF
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135661 Jefferson 30 Jun 1984 Barber, J. Patrick
752		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135690 Winston 7 Jun 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4427		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00022742 Marshall 12 Jul 1956 Thomas, Joab L.
71		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
SAMF0003081 Dallas 13 May 2015 Davenport, Lawrence J.
5728		 SAMF
Melillotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135650 Cleburne 30 Jun 1994 Hruska, Susan E.
275		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0006967 Etowah 29 Jun 2008 Keener, Brian R.
4669		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medik.
SAMF0001770 Jefferson 10 May 1955 Wade, Albert
s.n.		 SAMF
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00017655 Greene 18 May 1967 Naugle, Helen E.
G 332		 UNA
Melilotus albus Desr.
JSU135679 Montgomery 13 May 1979 Whetstone, R. David
9787		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135684 Randolph 27 Jun 1986 Nixon, Christopher F.
2339		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135680 Morgan 29 May 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4138		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135666 Jefferson 28 May 1984 Barber, J. Patrick
428		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135659 Jackson 4 Jun 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4246A		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00008891 Autauga 14 Jun 1982 Gunn, Scott C.
688		 UNA
Melilotus albus Desr.
JSU135676 Marshall 2 Jun 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4156		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135687 Talladega 27 May 1994 Ballard, J. Mark
4007		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
TROY000047523 Houston 07 Feb 2019 Diamond, Alvin R.
28736		 TROY
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135677 Marshall 15 Jun 1992 Spaulding, Daniel D.
2052		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00073937 Mobile 15 Apr 2017 Horne, Howard
3782		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135686 St. Clair 22 Jun 1969 Day, Randy
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135660 Jefferson 20 Jul 1984 Barber, J. Patrick
885		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
SAMF0001773 Shelby 25 Jun 2003 Davenport, Lawrence J.
2870		 SAMF
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135653 Colbert 16 Jul 1965 Landers, Kenneth E.
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0044497 Baldwin 24 Feb 2000 Larsen, Harry S.
258		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135652 Coffee 15 Apr 1967 Prater, Pat
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135691 Limestone 26 May 1996 Whetstone, R. David
17812		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0006968 Pickens 30 Jun 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3745		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medik.
USAM000006541 Mobile 21 Jul 1967 LeLong, Michel G.
3398.2		 USAM
Melilotus albus Medik.
ALNHS00001636 Dallas 06 Jul 2010 Barger, T. Wayne
OC-371		 ALNHS
Melilotus albus Medik.
UWAL0006969 St. Clair 27 May 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3613		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medik.
SAMF0001774 Blount 01 Jun 1956 Avery, J.C.
s.n.		 SAMF
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135669 Lawrence 17 Aug 1974 Whetstone, R. David
3821		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00017651 s.d. Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135662 Jefferson 28 May 1984 Barber, J. Patrick
657		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135681 Morgan 5 Aug 1974 Whetstone, R. David
3384		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00017715 Tuscaloosa 07 Nov 1974 Hoener, Fred K.
1172		 UNA
Melilotus albus Desr.
JSU135654 Cullman 20 Jun 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4839		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0044682 Lauderdale 28 May 2019 England, J. Kevin
10275		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medikus
JSU135672 Limestone 27 Jun 1996 Whetstone, R. David
17914		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
USAM000006543 Mobile 21 Jun 1972 LeLong, Michel G.
6634		 USAM
Melilotus albus Medik.
UWAL0016144 Mobile 08 May 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25053		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medik.
SAMF0001775 Jefferson 18 May 1953 Cunningham, J.
s.n.		 SAMF
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UWAL0035538 Mobile 02 May 2015 Horne, Howard E.
2871		 UWAL
Melilotus albus Medikus
TROY000039115 Mobile 08 May 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25053		 TROY
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135665 Jefferson 28 May 1984 Barber, J. Patrick
274		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135668 Lawrence 6 Jun 1975 Whetstone, R. David
4428		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00017656 Hale 17 Jul 1965 Maginness, Sherrie E.
55		 UNA
Melilotus albus Desr.
SAMF0002950 Jefferson 09 Sep 1988 Davenport, Lawrence J.
2586		 SAMF
Melilotus albus Medikus
TROY000050407 Lawrence 12 Jun 2008 England, J. Kevin
793		 TROY
Melilotus albus Medik.
JSU135678 Marshall 24 Jun 1969 Henry, Leonard
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
TROY000039313 Montgomery 29 Jun 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25263		 TROY
Melilotus albus Medikus
UWAL0050758 Jefferson 23 Sep 1984 Bussey, Melanie G.
981		 UWAL
Melilotus alba Desr.
JSU135675 Marshall 12 Jun 1993 Whetstone, R. David
s.n.		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
UNA00073064 Monroe 25 May 2011 Barger, T. Wayne
204		 UNA
Melilotus albus Medik.
USAM000006540 Limestone 19 Jun 1976 Ford, Susan
s.n.		 USAM
Melilotus albus Medik.
UNA00017654 Tuscaloosa 24 May 1984 Burckhalter, Robert
257		 UNA
Melilotus albus Desr.
JSU135688 Talladega 31 May 1992 Ballard, J. Mark
191		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135664 Jefferson 5 Jun 1984 Barber, J. Patrick
682		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
JSU135655 Dallas 9 Jun 1984 Whetstone, R. David
14069		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
ALNHS00004555 Jackson 02 Jul 2014 Barger, T. Wayne
HC-586		 ALNHS
Melilotus albus Medikus
JSU135682 Morgan 5 Aug 1974 Atkinson, Tim A.
512		 JSU
Melilotus alba Desrousseaux
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