Melilotus indicus
| Melilotus indicus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Melilotus indicus (common name: annual yellow sweetclover)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring to mid-summer in situ[1]. Pre-soaking the seed for 12 hours in warm water will speed up the germination process, particularly in dry weather[K]. Germination will usually take place within 2 weeks.
Cultivation: Dislikes shade.
This species is often cultivated as a fodder crop and cultivars low in coumarin have been developed[2].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[3]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Range: Europe - Mediterranean to E. Asia. Naturalized in Britain.
Habitat: Fields and waste places in S. England and Wales[4].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[5].
Medicinal: The seed is made into a gruel and used in the treatment of bowel complaints and infantile diarrhoea[2][6].
The plant is discutient, emollient, astringent, strongly laxative and narcotic[2][6][7]. It is used externally as a poultice or plaster on swellings[2][6].
The plant contains coumarin, which is an anticoagulant[2].
The plant also contains dicumarol, which is a broad spectrum bactericide[2].
Usage: The leaves repel insects. They have been placed in beds to repel bedbugs[7].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The dried leaves can be toxic, though the fresh leaves are quite safe[8][2]. This is due to the presence of coumarin, the substance that gives some dried plants the smell of new mown hay. If taken internally it can prevent the blood from clotting.
Links
References
- ↑ Woodward, L and P Burge. Green Manures. Elm Farm Research Centre, 1982.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.