Melilotus sulcatus Desf.

Spice Fruit detail

Family: LEGUMINOSAE

Genus: Melilotus

Catalan common name: Almegó solcat. Fenarola. Melilot solcat. Trèvol de ramellets.

Spanish common name: Corona de olor. Trébol real.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera. Dragonera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones.

Characteristics: An annual cycle herb that lives in garrigue clearings and at times cultivated fields and roadsides. Like all species of the genus, forms a raceme of many yellow flowers, 2-4 mm. In the case of this species, the raceme is much larger than the inflorescence pedicel. The fruit is small and characterized by the concentric folds involving the fruit. Other Melilotus are similar in appearance so a good classification key should be used for identification. Melilotus indica has smaller flowers, less than 3 mm, while Melilotus segetalis has larger ones, greater than 4 mm. Flowers during the spring, between March and June.