Yellow Sweet Clover
Melilotus Parviflora, Desf. Pea Family
Hab.—Widely naturalized from Europe.
In early summer the breezes come laden with fragrance from the sweet clover. This is easily recognized by its tall stems, its fragrant leaves, with three small, toothed leaflets, and its small crowded racemes of minute yellow flowers a line long.
A white form—Melilotus alba, Lam.—is found in the north. Its flowers are vanilla-scented.
This plant is a highly valued remedy in the pharmacopœia for various ailments, and its sweet-scented flowers have been used for flavoring many products, such as Gruyère cheese, snuff, and tobacco. In Europe the blossoms are packed among furs to give them a pleasant odor and keep away moths.