Melilotus officinalis

Melilotus officinalis,or Shinagawa-hagi(as Japanese ) (Melilotus officinalis), commonly known as sweet yellow clover, yellow melilot, is an annual or biennial plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. Originally from Eurasia, it was introduced to Japan during the Edo period and has since spread from Hokkaido to Okinawa. The name "Shinagawa Lespedeza" originates from its prevalence in the Shinagawa area of Tokyo during the late Edo period.

The plant grows to a height of 50-180 cm. The stems are erect or ascending and well-branched. The leaves are green, trifoliate, with leaflets 1.5-3 cm long, oblanceolate with shallow serrations on the margins, and covered with pressed hairs on the underside, arranged alternately on the branches.

From May to October, it produces fragrant yellow pea-like flowers in short racemes 3-5 cm long from the flower stalks. The small flowers are about 0.5 cm long, with a broad-elliptic standard petal, and the wings and keel petals are of the same length. The calyx is five-lobed.

After flowering, the plant produces broad-elliptic legumes about 0.3 cm long, each containing 1-2 seeds. A similar species with white flowers is Melilotus alba, commonly cultivated for green manure or forage. The whole plant contains melilotic acid and coumarin, making it useful for medicinal purposes, as herbal tea, and as a nectar source for bees.

General Information
Common Name: Melilotus officinalis or Shinagawa-hagi (品川萩)
Scientific Name: Melilotus officinalis
Aka: sweet yellow clover, yellow melilot
Classification: Plantae, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Fabales, Fabaceae, Melilotus, Melilotus officinalis
Origin: Eurasia
Life Form: Annual or Biennial Plant, Naturalized Species
Plant Height: 50-180 cm
Stem: Erect or Ascending, Well-branched
Leaf Color: Green
Leaf Type: Trifoliate
Leaflet Shape: Oblanceolate
Leaflet Size: 1.5-3 cm long
Leaf Margins: Shallow Serrations
Leaflet Underside: Pressed Hairs
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Flowering Period: May to October (Blooms Twice in Spring and Summer)
Inflorescence Type: Raceme
Inflorescence Length: 3-5 cm
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Size: 0.5 cm long
Standard Petal Shape: Broad-Elliptic
Wing and Keel Petal Length: Same
Calyx: Five-lobed
Fruit Type: Legume
Fruit Shape: Broad-Elliptic
Fruit Length: 0.3 cm
Seed Count: 1-2
Uses: Medicinal - Whole Plant
Notes: Naturalized Plant, Fragrant Flowers

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