officindlis, Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1078.— Mart. FI. Rust. t. 72.— Huds. FI. Angl. (2nded.) 
p. 323.— Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 402. — Sibth. FI. Oxou. p. 227.— Abbot’s FI. Bodf. 
p. 161. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 346. — Sincl. Hort. Gram. Woburn. (3rd edit.) 
p. 393. 
Localities. — I n thickets, hedges, way-sides, and borders of fields ; sometimes 
among corn. 
Annual. — Flowers in June and July. 
Root tapering, strong, and somewhat woody. Stem 2 or 3 feet 
high, upright, branched, leafy, angular, furrowed, smooth ; branches 
much spreading. Leaves alternate, petiolated, smooth, of 3, in- 
versely egg-shaped, or oblong-wedge-shaped, sharply serrated, 
dark green leaflets ; the partial stalk of the middle one rather the 
longest. Stipulas spear-shaped, the upper ones entire ; the lower 
sometimes with 2 or 3 awl-shaped teeth. Racemes ( clusters ) two 
inches or more in length, on long, axillary peduncles. Flowers 
numerous, on short, slender pedicels, all drooping to one side. 
Calyx about one-third the length of the corolla, divided about half 
way down into 5, nearly equal, pointed teeth. Corolla yellow ; 
standard (vexillum) striated with brown, keeled, a little longer 
than the other petals, notched, and but slightly reflexed ; wings as 
long as the keel. Style thread-shaped. Stigma bluntish. Legume 
(pod) pendulous, 2-seeded, elliptical, transversely wrinkled, some- 
what hairy, at length blackish, and rather gibbous. Seeds un- 
equally heart-shaped. 
The whole plant has a peculiar scent, which becomes more fragrant in a dry state, 
then having some resemblance to that of new hay, or that of Anthoxanthum odo- 
ratum, t. 99. The flowers are sweet-scented; a water distilled from them pos- 
sesses little odour in itself, but improves the flavour of other substances. The 
flowers and seeds are said to be the chief ingredients in flavouring the Gruyere 
cheese. This cheese, Mr. Don says, no doubt owes its excellence to the mixture 
of herbs in the mountain pasturage, which surrounds the valley of Gruyere in 
Switzerland, but more particularly to the flowers and seeds of this plant, which are 
bruised and mixed with the curd before it is pressed. In medicine the plant was 
esteemed emollient and digestive, and was used in fomentations and cataplasms, 
particularly iu blister plasters, but it is now laid aside, as being more acrid and 
irritating Ilian emollient. Notwithstanding the strong smell of the plant, and its 
bitter acrid taste, it does not appear to be disagreeable to any kind of cattle ; and 
horses are said to be extremely fond of it ; hence it is called by some Italian writers 
Trifolium caballinum. Professor Martyn observes, that there cannot be a 
worse weed among bread-corn, for a few of the seeds, ground with it, spoil the 
flour, by communicating the peculiarly strong taste of the plant, so as to render it 
unfit for making bread. 
Dr. Lindley states, in his excellent " Flora Medica,” p. 240, that the odorifer- 
ous principle of this plant is very fugacious; and was asserted by Vogel to be 
benzoic acid, but that according to Guibourt, and others, it is Coumarine, the 
aromatic principle of the Tonka Bean. 
Melilot does not appear to have been cultivated in England ; but, in a wild state, 
it occurs, more or less common, in most counties. I have observed it iu the follow- 
ing places near Oxford, namely, Marston-lane, in 1827 ; between South Hinksey 
and Childswell Farm; and in Cowley-field, in 1831; abundant in a copse just 
beyond Botley-Pound going to Enshaiu ; and in hedges and on the borders of fields 
between Cassington and Church Handborough, July 1, 1833. Dr. Sibthorp re- 
cords it as growing in the lane going to Binsey. Mr. Sinclair says, that in very 
exposed situations it attains only to a small size, while in such as are much shelter- 
ed, he has found it exceed six feet in height. Dr. Johnston remarks, that in the 
neighbourhood of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the flowers are most frequently of a 
greenish- white colour, and smaller than usual. 
The white-flowered variety mentioned by 'Withering, is the Melilotus letican • 
tha of Hooker’s British Flora. 
