| 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 pilosc. 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, peduncels 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 strialed, 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, Life Form: Th, Flowering in: Mar-Apr, Vern:————, Phytochoria: MED, The native range of this species is Medit. to W. Eritrea. Notes: Wild in Libya, a weed in the lawns.
For more information: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60466959-2, https://www.ipni.org/n/60466959-2, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000185386, https://www.gbif.org/species/10773250, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/67102/melilotus-messanensis-l-all, http://floranelsalento.blogspot.com/2013/05/melilotus-siculus-turra-steud-fabaceae.html, https://www.maltawildplants.com/FABC/Melilotus_siculus.php |
| Distribution in Libya | ||
| Al-Jafarah Plain | Zliten-Misurata Plain | Al-Jabal Al-Akhder |
| Tripoli 1978 | Misurata 2006 | Reported from Derna by Pampanini |
| Marmarica Plateau | ||
| Reported in Marmarica north-eastern part of Libya by Pampanini 1930 | ||
| Bibliographic references: | |
| 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. | |
| Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest: | pdf files |
| 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://www.mapress.com/j/pt/, https://www.biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.509.1.1 |
An updated Marmarica Plateau flora 2021 |
| 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) |
