( 363 .) 
MELILO'TUS * *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Diade'lpiiia f, Deca'ndbia. 
Natural Order. Legumino'sa5, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 345. — Sm. 
Gram, of Bot. p. 174. — Lindl. Syn. p. 75. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of 
Bot. p. 87. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 532. — Sm. Engl. FI. v. iii. p. 
259. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 509. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and 
Bot. v. ii. p. 91. — Legumina'ceas, Loudon’s Arb. Brit. p. 561. — 
Papiliona'ce^eJ, Linn. — Rosales; sect. Cicerinje ; subsect. 
Lotian^ ; type, Lotace^; ; subtype, Lotidav ; Burn. Outl. of 
Bot. pp. 614, 638, 642, & 644. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. l,a.) inferior, tubular, 5-toothed, per- 
manent. Corolla (fig. 1,6.) papilionaceous, of 4 distinct, deciduous 
petals ; standard (fig. 2.) retlexed ; wings (fig. 3.) oblong, shorter 
than the standard ; keel of 1 petal, rather shorter than the wings. 
Filaments (fig. 4.) 10, 9 in one split compressed tube; the tenth 
hair-like, and distinct. Anthers roundish. Germen (fig. 5.) egg- 
oblong. Style awl-shaped, curved upwards. Stigma simple, 
smooth. Legume (figs. 5 & 6.) longer than the calyx, coriaceous, 
1- or few-seeded, hardly dehiscent, of various forms. Seeds round- 
ish, smooth. 
Distinguished from other genera, with diadelphous stamens, in 
the same class and order, by the 1 -celled, 1- or few-seeded, inde- 
hiscent legume , longer than the calyx ; the awl-shaped style with a 
simple, smooth stigma ; the distinct petals ; and the racemose 
inflorescence. 
It differs from the genus Trifolium in the flowers being pro- 
duced in a loose raceme, not in a head or close spike ; and in the 
legume being longer than the calyx, not shorter. See folio 283. 
Two species British. 
MELILO'TUS OFFICINA'LIS. Officinal Melilot. Common 
Yellow Melilot. Plaster Clover. King’s Clover. Hart’s Clover. 
Spec. Char. Stem upright. Racemes loose. Corolla more than 
twice as long as the calyx. Petals nearly equal in length. Legumes 
2- seeded, egg-shaped, wrinkled. 
Pcrs. Syn. PI. v. ii. p. 348. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 603. — Lindt. Syn. p. 79. — 
Hook. Brit. PI. p. 327. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. p. 177. — Macr. 
Man. Brit. Bot. p. 53. — Winch’s FI. of Northumberl. and Durh. p. 49. — Lindl. FI. 
Med. p. 240. — Bah. FI. Bath. p. 12. — Dick. FI. Abred. p. 48.— Irv. Lond. FI. p. 
178. — Luxf. Reig. FI. p. 64. — Mack. FI. Hibern. p. 76. — Melilotus vulgaris, 
Ray’s Syn. p. 331. — Deer. Cat. Stirp. Nott. p. 142. — Warn. Pi. Woodf. p. 97. — 
Jacob’s PI. Faversh. p. 67. — Trifolium officinale, Engl. Bot. t. 1340. — Sm. FI. 
Brit. v. ii. p. 781. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. iii. pt. ii. p. i355. — Sm. Engl. FI. v. iii. p. 
297. — With. (7th ed. ) v. iii. p. 852. — Davies’ Welsh Bot. p. 70. — Relh. FI. Cant. 
(3rd ed. } p. 298. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 217. — Grev. FI. Ediu. p. 159. — FI. Devon, 
pp. 123 fit 176. — Johnst. FI. Berw. v. i. p. 162. — Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 212. — 
Perry’s PI. Varvic. Sel. p. 62. — Mack. Catal. PI. Irel. p. 67. — Trifolium Melilotus 
Fig. 1. A separate Flower ; a. Calyx; b. Corolla. — Fig. 2. Standard. — Fig. 3. One 
of the Wings. — Fig. 4. Stamens. — Fig. 5. Unripe Legume. — Fig. 6. Ripe ditto. — 
Fig. 7. A Seed. 
* From mel, honey ; and lotus, the genus so called. Hooker. See t. 219. 
\ See fol. 77, note +. J See fol. 117, note {. 
