Melilotus albus Medik.

Scientific Description

Erect, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, not continuous with stem, 20-30 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet present, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 3 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 1 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles absent. Calyx 2-2.5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 5-6 mm long, uniformly coloured, white; claws present; standard 4.5 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 4 mm long, not auriculate, keel 3.5 mm long, not beaked, auriculate or not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.3 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 2.5-3 mm long. Ovary sessile or subsessile, glabrous; style 3-3.5 mm long, glabrous, not bearded, terete. Fruit indehiscent and splitting into sections (schizocarps), sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, beaked. Flowers in July, October, November and December. Occurs in the South-West Botanical Province, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Warren, Esperance and Swan Coastal Plain IBRA regions.