| Melilotus albus |
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| Scientific classification |
| Kingdom: |
Plantae |
| Clade: |
Tracheophytes |
| Clade: |
Angiosperms |
| Clade: |
Eudicots |
| Clade: |
Rosids |
| Order: |
Fabales |
| Family: |
Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: |
Faboideae |
| Genus: |
Melilotus |
| Species: |
M. albus |
| Binomial name |
Melilotus albus
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| Synonyms |
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- Medicago alba E.H.L.Krause (1901)
- Melilotus albus Desr. (1797)
- Melilotus albus var. argutus (Rchb.) Rouy (1899)
- Melilotus albus var. macrocarpus Rupr. (1860)
- Melilotus albus f. prolifer Dore (1959)
- Melilotus angulatus Trautv. (1841)
- Melilotus arboreus Castagne ex Ser. (1825)
- Melilotus argutus Rchb. (1832)
- Melilotus giganteus Trautv. (1841)
- Melilotus kotschyi O.E.Schulz (1901)
- Melilotus leucanthus W.D.J.Koch ex DC. (1815)
- Melilotus melanospermus Besser ex Ser. (1825)
- Melilotus officinalis subsp. albus (Medik.) H.Ohashi & Tateishi (1984)
- Melilotus officinalis var. albus Mérat (1812)
- Melilotus officinalis var. vulgaris (Willd.) Wahlenb. (1820)
- Melilotus rugulosus Trautv. (1841)
- Melilotus strictus Trautv. (1841)
- Melilotus tenellus Wallr. (1840)
- Melilotus urbanii O.E.Schulz (1901)
- Melilotus vulgaris Willd. (1809)
- Melilotus vulgaris var. gigantea Gaudin (1829)
- Melilotus vulgaris var. minor Gaudin (1829)
- Sertula alba (Medik.) Kuntze (1891)
- Trifolium vulgare Gueldenst. ex Ledeb. (1843)
- Trifolium album (Medik.) Loisel. (1807)
- Trifolium melilotus Georgi (1775)
- Trigonella alba (Medik.) Coulot & Rabaute (2013)
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Melilotus albus, known as honey clover, white melilot (UK), Bokhara clover (Australia), white sweetclover (US), and sweet clover, is a nitrogen-fixing legume in the family Fabaceae. Melilotus albus is considered a valuable honey plant and source of nectar and is often grown for forage. Its characteristic sweet odor, intensified by drying, is derived from coumarin.
Melilotus albus is of Eurasian origin but can now be found throughout the subtropical to temperate zones, especially in North America, and is common in sand dune, prairie, bunchgrass, meadow, and riparian habitats. This species is listed as an "exotic pest" in Tennessee, "ecologically invasive" in Wisconsin, and a "weed" in Kentucky and Quebec.