melilotus

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of plants of the natural order Leguminosæ, the pulse family, the suborder Papilionaceæ, and the tribe Trifolieæ; the clovers. It is distinguished by a small, fleshy, subglobous or obovoid legume, which is indehiscent or at length two-valved. The plants are herbs, with pinnately trifoliate leaves having adnate stipules, and small white or yellow flowers, growing in loose racemes. About 10 species are known, which are found in the temperate and subtropical regions of the northern hemisphere. When dried, they have the peculiar fragrance of the Tonka bean or the vernal grass, owing to the presence of the principle called coumarin (which see). General names for the genus are melilot and sweet clover. M. alba, the white melilot or honey-lotus, also called Cabul clover, is an excellent bee-plant, but of little value as forage, and in some places a troublesome weed. M. officinalis, the common or yellow melilot, is, like the last, widely spread over Europe and Asia, and naturalized in America. It was formerly of medicinal repute, sold by the herbalists as balsam-flowers, but has disappeared from scientific medicine. See hart's-clover and king's-clover.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. erect annual or biennial plant grown extensively especially for hay and soil improvement