Melilotus siculus (Turra) Steud.

Family: Fabaceae

General Appearance

Melilotus siculus (Turra) Steud. / Heterotypic Synonyms: Melilotus messanensis (L.) All., it is an annual herb, ascending to procumbent, up to 40 cm long, glabrous or thinly pilose. Stipules ovate-acuminate or triangular-lanceolate. 5-8 x 2-5 mm, shortly and irregularly dentate at margin, petiole 80-30 mm long, ± flattened narrowly winged, leaflets obovate or oblanceolate, rather thickish. 10-20 x 4-15 mm, irregularly denticulate above, peduncles very short, with 10-25 mm long. (3-) 5-10-flowered racemes, usually shorter or equaling the subtending leaves. Yellow flowers 5 mm long, pedicels c. 1 mm long, recurved, pendulous in fruit. Calyx campanulate. c. 2 mm, with teeth c. half as long. Corolla 4-5 mm long, standard and keel sub equal, longer than wings. Pods 5-8 x 3.5-4.5 mm, obliquely ovoid, tapering at both ends, concentrically striated, sharply beaked, pale brown when mature, 1 (-2)-seeded. Seeds 2.54 x 2.5 mm. oblong to sub globose, ± flattened, brown, minutely rugulose-tuberculate.

Flowering in:Mar-Apr.

Life Form

Th

Phytochoria

MED. The native range of this species is Medit. to W. Eritrea.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jafarah Plain:  Tripoli 1978

Zliten-Misurata Plain:  Misurata 2006

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder:  Reported from Derna by Pampanini

Marmarica Plateau:  Reported in Marmarica north-eastern part of Libya by Pampanini 1930

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1980) Flora of Libya, Fabaceae Vol.  (86) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. Page. 215- under  Melilotus messanensis (L.) All.

Saaed, M.W.B., EL-Barasi, Y.M. & Rahil, R.O. (2021) An updated checklist and quantitative analysis of the Marmarica Plateau flora, in the north-eastern part of Libya. Phytotaxa 509 (1): 001-055. https://phytotaxa.mapress.com/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.509.1.1

An-updated-checklist-and-quantitative-analysis-of-the-Marmarica-Plateau-flora-مضغوط

Al-Dana, S. M. M. (2006) Taxonomic study of wild flower plants in some areas of Misrata. Master Thesis, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Misurata University (7 October previously) Misurata, Libya. (In Arabic).

PAMPANINI, R. (1931). Prodromo della Flora Cirenaica. -: 258 – under: Melilotus siculus (Turra) Vitman ex B.D.Jacks.  https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/records/item/14218-prodromo-della-flora-cirenaica

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