Melilotus indicus, Vanamethika

 

Melilotus indicus (L.) All.
Family: Fabaceae

Synonyms: Melilotus bonplandii Ten. , Melilotus indica (L.) All. [Spelling variant] , Melilotus indicus subsp. permixtus (Jord.) Rouy , Melilotus melilotus-indica Asch. & Graebn. [Spelling variant] , Melilotus melilotus-indicus Asch. & Graebn. , Melilotus officinalis sensu Bojer , Melilotus parviflora Desf. [Spelling variant] , Melilotus parviflorus Desf. , Melilotus permixtus Jord. , Melilotus tommasinii Jord. , Sertula indica (L.) Kuntze , Trifolium indica L. [Spelling variant] , Trifolium indicum L. , Trifolium melilotus L. , Trifolium melilotus var. indicum L. , Trifolium melilotus indicus L. , Trifolium melilotus-indica L.,

Common name: Indian Sweet Clover, Yellow sweet clover, Small Melilot

• Arabic: قرط (قُرط)، نفل( نَفَل)، نفله (نَفَلَه، نَفْلَه)، نفل (نِفِل)
• Assamese: বন মেথী Ban Methi
• Bengali: বন মেথী Ban methi
• Chinese: 野苜蓿
• Dutch: Kleine honingklaver
• Estinisan: India mesikas
• Finnish: Intianmesikkä
• French: Mélilot à petites fleurs
• German: Kleinblütiger Steinklee
• Hindi: बन मेथी Ban methi, Morila, Senji methi
• Marathi: रान मेथी Ran methi
• Nepali: मेथी घाँस
• Portuguese: Anafe-menor
• Russian: Донник индийский
• Sanskrit: वनमेथिका Vanamethika
• Swedish: Dvärgsötväppling

Description: Erect annual herb, 15-60 cm tall, stem pubescent. Petiole 1.5-3.8 cm long, leaflets 1.2-2.5 cm long, 7-10 mm broad, oblong or lanceolate, dentate, obtuse, retuse or truncate, glabrous to subglabrous. Inflorescence a 10-16-flowered raceme, peduncle up to 3 cm long. Bracts c. 0.5 mm long, pedicel c. 1 mm long, reflexed after flowering. Calyx c. 1.5 mm long. Corolla 2-3 mm long, yellow. Fruit 1.5-4 mm long, with prominent veins, 1-seeded.

Used  in  Ayurveda.  Whole  plant  toxic  to  livestock.  Plant  juice applied to treat cuts and wounds; whole plant taken as a  purgative, a very strong laxative; plant as a plaster for swellings; plant used in beds as a bedbug repellent. Leaf extract  along with lemon juice applied over skin eruptions; leaves  rubbed on skin to cure itching. Leaves and seeds infusion for  stomachache,  emollient.  Seeds  useful  in  bowel  complaints  and infantile diarrhea [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]

14 Published articles of Melilotus indicus
1. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of root nodules rhizobia of Medicago littoralis Rhode and Melilotus indicus (L.) All. growing in the Oasis of Touggourt, Oued Righ Valley, in the Algerian Sahara
By: Arbi, Souad Baba; Chekireb, Djamel; Quatrini, Paola; et al.
SYMBIOSIS  Volume: 66   Issue: 2   Pages: 75-87   Published: JUN 2015

2. Description of a new gall-inducing species of Aprostocetus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Melilotus indicus from Southern Italy
By: Viggiani, G.; Monaco, R.
Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research  Volume: 46   Issue: 1   Pages: 27-29   Published: APR 2014

3. Study of alpha-amylase and urease inhibitory activities of Melilotus indicus (Linn.) All.
By: Ahmed, Dildar; Younas, Saba; Mughal, Qaria Mumtaz Anwer
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES  Volume: 27   Issue: 1   Pages: 57-61   Published: JAN 2014

4. Study of alpha-amylase and urease inhibitory activities of Melilotus indicus (Linn.) All.
By: Dildar Ahmed; Saba Younas; Mughal, Q. M. A.
Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences  Volume: 27   Issue: 1   Pages: 57-61   Published: 2014

5. Effect of leaf, stem and root extract of alfalfa ( Melilotus indicus) on seed germination and seedling growth of wheat ( Triticum aestivum).
By: Mousavi, S. H.; Alami-Saeid, K.; Moshatati, A.
International Journal of Agriculture and Crop Sciences (IJACS)  Volume: 5   Issue: 1   Pages: 44-49   Published: 2013

6. Seasonal variation of phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity of methanolic extract of Melilotus indicus and its sub-fractions in different solvents.
By: Dildar Ahmed; Hira Baig; Saman Zara
International Journal of Phytomedicine  Volume: 4   Issue: 3   Pages: 326-332   Published: 2012

7. Melilotus indicus (L.) All., a salt-tolerant wild leguminous herb with high potential for use as a forage crop in salt-affected soils
By: Al Sherif, Emad A.
FLORA  Volume: 204   Issue: 10   Pages: 737-746   Published: 2009

8. Effect of salt stress on the expression of NHX-type ion transporters in Medicago intertexta and Metilotus indicus plants
By: Zahran, Hamdi H.; Carmen Marin-Manzano, M.; Juan Sanchez-Raya, A.; et al.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM  Volume: 131   Issue: 1   Pages: 122-130   Published: SEP 2007

9. Caracteristicas e potencial toxicidade do "trevo de cheiro" ( Melilotus indicus L.) All. ( Leguminosae) para bovinos.
Characteristics and potential toxicity of "smell clover" ( Melilotus indicus L.) All. ( Leguminosae) to cattle.
By: Karam, F. S. C.
Revista Cientifica Rural  Volume: 1   Issue: 1   Pages: 14-18   Published: 1996

10. PHOTONASTIC CONTROL OF LEAFLET ORIENTATION IN MELILOTUS-INDICUS (FABACEAE)
By: SCHWARTZ, A; GILBOA, S; KOLLER, D
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY  Volume: 84   Issue: 2   Pages: 318-323   Published: JUN 1987

11. MELILOTUS-INDICUS-D AND MELILOTUS-WOLGICUS-D IN POLAND
By: TRZCINSKA-TACIK H
Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica  Volume: 13   Issue: 3   Pages: 351-355   Published: 1967

12. Initial observations on effect of Melilotus indicus All, on contraception of mouse
By: DEPARTMENT OF HISTOLOGY AND EMBRYOLOGY SIAN MEDICAL COLLEGE
ACTA INST MED SIANICI  Volume: 5   Pages: 35-39   Published: 1958

13. Caracteristicas diferen-ciales del trebol de olor y la lupulina.
Differential characters in Melilotus indicus and Medicago lupulina.
By: GAREISO, A. R.
Almanaque Min. Agric. Argent.  Volume: 17   Pages: 319-20   Published: 1942

14. El trebol de olor, su difusion geografica en la region triguera.
Melilotus indicus, its geographic distribution in the wheat-growing region.
By: GAREISO, A. R.
Almanaque Min. Agric. Argent.  Volume: 15   Pages: 385-6   Published: 1940