Yellow wild flower ID'd by Mike Hardman as Melilotus, probably officinalis

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Hilary

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Yellow wild flower
I am beginning to think I will never be able to identify a plant. I either forget to look at the bark of a trees, or should have seen if there were any seed pods around or the length of various parts .
if anyone can tell me if it is a ------- or------ I would be very grateful .
It is either that or go by the name of yellow wild flower.
It was growing by the roadside in the Mani last week
« Last Edit: April 28, 2019, 08:32:13 AM by Alisdair »
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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MikeHardman

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Re: yellow wild flower
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2019, 08:53:33 PM »
Melilotus italicus, methinks.
(M. indicus has more elongate inflorescence)
Both species, and other yellow clovers, have a range of habits from sprawling to erect.
But I don't have an up-to-date key for M. in Cyprus (the one in Meikle, 1977 is out-of-date), so I am not 100% convinced.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2019, 08:55:24 PM by MikeHardman »
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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John J

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Re: yellow wild flower
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2019, 05:27:23 AM »
Mike, Yiannis Christofides mentions 6 varieties of Melilotus in his book, including both italicus and indicus, unfortunately without photos of either. I still have the copy you ordered and need to get it to you. Once the Greek Easter period is over I'll get up your way and hand it over!
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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MikeHardman

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Re: yellow wild flower
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2019, 07:21:00 AM »
John,

See
http://www.flora-of-cyprus.eu/cdm_dataportal/taxon/ae566d80-0d7e-4ca2-9168-5948c205a1f1
and from thereabouts you can navigate to other species of M.
However, I now think the leaves are wrong. Perhaps M. officinalis is more likely.

Book - I have been expecting to make a trip to Limassol (hence you), but the company isn't ready for me. yet. That will probably happen in the next few weeks. Meanwhile if you're over this way, yes, please give me a call. Sorry you've had this issue outstanding.

//Mike
« Last Edit: April 28, 2019, 07:25:17 AM by MikeHardman »
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

Hilary

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Many thanks Mike and John J

I will go with the Melilotus officinalis although I don't see any  sign of the 
Quote
'flowers small and many in long elongated spikes'
mentioned in one of the books I have
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

*

MikeHardman

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    • www.mikehardman.com
Umm, yes, that may be an issue, Hilary, though a degree of variability in several of the species complicates matters.
Tricky without a key, as I said.
Here's a list of Melilotus in Greece
http://portal.cybertaxonomy.org/flora-greece/cdm_dataportal/taxon/e231d3ec-d37f-478d-81cd-151b35fda2ed.
You can tick a box to turn thumbnails on, but you don't get many of those or full images.
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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Alisdair

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Mike and Hilary, i know how much you both like to get to the bottom of things, so thought you might be interested in these three pages from Flora Europaea vol 2, which do include a key to Melilotus - sorry the pages are a bit murky!
« Last Edit: May 01, 2019, 10:44:34 AM by Alisdair »
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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MikeHardman

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Thank you Alasdair
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England