[Greek, Mdi, honey, and Lotus; a Lotus-like plant, attractive of Beee.]

Calyx as in Clover. Corolla deciduous. Legume longer than the calyx,
coriaceous, globose or ovoid, 1 - few-seeded, scarcely dehiscent. Herbs
becoming fragrant in drying. Flowers mostly in long spicate racemes.
1. M. alba. Lam. Stem rather erect, striate; leaflets ovate-oblong,
somewhat emarginately truncate at apex, mncronate, remotely dentate-
serrate ; racemes loose, elongated ; corolla white, the standard longer
than the other petals ; legume ovoid-oblong, wrinkled ; I - 2-8eeded.
White-flowered Mblilotus. Tree Clover. Bokhara Clover.
Fr. Le Melilot blanc. Germ. Weisser Steinklee. Span. Meliloto.
Boot biennial? Stem at first -ascending or oblique, finally erect, 3-5 or 6 feet high, stout,
striate-ribbed, smooth, paniculately branched. LeafieU an inch to an inch and a half
long ■ common peUdlei 1-2 Inches long. Racemes 2-4 inches long, on axillary peduncles
1-2 inches in length. Flowers retrorsely imbricated before (^ning.
Introduced, and partially cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. June -August. Pr.
August - September.
Obs. This plant has been introduced by some amateur farmers, and
much commended as being specially suited for soiling (or cutting, as
wanted, for stock that are kept up) ; but, without any practical know-
ledge on my part, I cannot help doubting whether so coarse a plant can
be as valuable as the common Red Clover. A former species of this
genus {M. coerulea, Lam) — but which has been separated, and is now
the Trtgonella coerulea^ jDC, a plant of strong and enduring odor — is
employ^, in Switzerland, to give the peculiar flavor tp ^e fiimous
Schabziegerj or (as it is usually called m the vernacular) " Sap-sago "
Cheese. Another species with yellow flowers (M. officinalis^ Jrilld^, is
also found in waste places.
4. MEDICA'jSO, Tournef. Mbdick.
