Witnessed by: Western · Unani
Sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), of the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family. Tall branching biennial with trifoliate leaves and slender racemes of yellow pea-flowers; native range: Europe and temperate Asia; widely naturalised on waste ground and roadsides. Globally recognized as yellow melilot, king's clover, ribbed melilot, sweet melilot in English, iklil-ul-malik (إكليل الملك) in Arabic, and aklil-ul-malik in Urdu. The part used is flowering herb (aerial parts, dried). Sprays of small yellow blossoms on wiry stems; the drying herb releases a warm sweet fragrance of new-mown hay, the taste faintly sweet then bitter.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
SWEET CLOVER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Sweet clover
- Scientific name
- Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.
- Family
- Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Form
- Part used
- flowering herb (aerial parts, dried)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Western
- aromatic, sweet, bitter
- Unani
- aromatic, bitter
Temperature
- Western
- warm (emollient and resolvent)
- Unani
- hot & dry (1st degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Western
- joints · skin · circulation
- Unani
- joints · skin · stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Western
- emollient, discutient (resolvent), carminative, mild anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant; venotonic and anti-oedema in modern use
- Unani
- muhallil-e-awram (resolvent of swellings), mulattif (attenuant), munzij, musakkin-e-alam (analgesic), applied chiefly in plasters and poultices
Cautions
Contraindications: bleeding disorders and before surgery; with anticoagulant therapy
Toxicity: the fresh herb is safe, but spoiled or mouldy material forms dicoumarol and can cause dangerous bleeding
Interactions
- Western
- anticoagulants: coumarin and its spoilage product dicoumarol add to anticoagulant effect and bleeding risk
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