What’s a dichotomous key?
Help
Melilotus
See list of 3 species in this genusMelilotus altissimus Thuill. was reported from ME by Hultén and Fries (1986), but specimens are unknown. Steele and Wojciechowski (2003) found Melilotus to be monophyletic, but its recognition creates a paraphyletic Trigonella. Further work may show these two genera need to be combined under the name Trigonella (it has priority over Meliolotus).
-
1a. Corollas yellow, 2–3 mm long; inflorescence compact at anthesis, only 1–2 (–3) cm long, elongating in fruit; pedicels ascending, 0.5–1 mm long; legumes 1.5–3 mm long; plants 0.2–0.6 m tall
-
1b. Corollas yellow or white, (3.5–) 4–7 mm long; inflorescence 3–12 cm long at anthesis, elongating in fruit; pedicels decurved, 1–2 mm long; legumes 2.5–5 mm long; plants 0.5–3 m tall
-
2a. Corollas yellow, 5–7 mm long; wing petals ± as long as the banner petal and usually longer than the keel petals; legumes cross-striate on the outer surface
-
2b. Corollas white, (3.5–) 4–5 mm long; wing petals shorter than the banner petal and ± as long as the keel petals [Fig. 647]; legumes reticulate-patterened on the outer surface
-
Show photos of:
Each photo represents one species in this genus.