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foothill clover

rose clover

Habit Plants annual, erect, 5–50 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy; branched. Plants annual, curved-ascending, 10–35 cm, densely spreading-hairy; branched.
Leaves

palmate;

leaflets 3, elliptic to oblong or obovate, 8–35 × 5–15 mm, bases cuneate;

margins serrate proximally, obscurely denticulate distally;

veins thickened;

tips usually rounded or retuse, rarely acute;

surfaces glabrous;

petioles 10–130 mm;

petiolules ~0.5 mm;

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 10–15 mm;

margins entire, sometimes ciliate;

tips acuminate.

pinnate;

leaflets 3, obovate to oblong, 8–25 × 5–13 mm, bases cuneate;

margins denticulate distally;

veins prominent, closely-spaced;

tips rounded;

surfaces densely spreading-hairy;

petioles 5–50 mm;

petiolules ~0.5 mm;

stipules lanceolate-ovate, 8–18 mm;

margins entire;

tips long-setaceous.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, 10–30-flowered; ovoid becoming subglobose, 7–22 × 5–20 mm;

involucres a narrow, membranous, dentate rim; ~0.5 mm;

bracteoles linear or cup-shaped; ? 1 mm.

terminal on branches, 10–50-flowered, globose or ovoid, 15–25 × 15–25 mm, disarticulating at maturity into fruiting calyces;

involucres enlarged stipules;

bracteoles absent.

Peduncles

25–120 mm.

absent.

Pedicels

erect but becoming reflexed, 0.5–6 mm.

absent.

Flowers

6–13 mm;

calyces broadly campanulate, 5–11 mm, glabrous;

veins 10;

tubes 1–5 mm;

lobes elliptic to linear, unequal;

margins hyaline, markedly ciliate, dentate or pectinate; sinuses narrow;

orifices open;

corollas 5–13 mm, white, pink, or purple;

banners broadly ovate, 6–13 × 4–7 mm;

tips rounded, apiculate.

10–17 mm;

calyces campanulate, 7–11 mm, pilose;

veins 20;

tubes 2–5 mm;

lobes subequal; abaxial slightly longer;

orifices open, pilose;

corollas 10–14 mm, pink to purplish red;

banners lanceolate, 10–14 × 1–2 mm;

tips acute-acuminate.

Fruits

longitudinally dehiscent; ovoid, 5–10 mm; < 2 × as long as calyces; short-stipitate.

transversely dehiscent; ovoid, 2–3 mm; ? calyces; leathery distally.

Seeds

1–2; ovoid, 2.5–3 mm, brown, mottled; smooth.

1, globose-ellipsoid, 1.5–2 mm, tan or brown; smooth; glossy.

2n

=16.

=10.

Trifolium ciliolatum

Trifolium hirtum

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Oak-pine chaparral, meadows, roadsides. Flowering May–Jun. 50–800 m. Col, ECas, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; south to Mexico. Native.

Fields, roadsides. Flowering Apr–Jun. 50–800 m. Sisk, WV. CA; southeastern US; Africa, Asia, Europe. Exotic.

Trifolium hirtum is native to the Mediterranean region. It was first cultivated in California in the 1940s and is used as a forage plant and as a nitrogen source in roadside grass plantings (Love 1985).

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 725
Michael Vincent
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 730
Michael Vincent
Sibling taxa
T. albopurpureum, T. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. aureum, T. barbigerum, T. beckwithii, T. bifidum, T. breweri, T. campestre, T. cernuum, T. cyathiferum, T. depauperatum, T. dichotomum, T. douglasii, T. dubium, T. echinatum, T. eriocephalum, T. fragiferum, T. fucatum, T. glomeratum, T. gymnocarpon, T. hirtum, T. howellii, T. hybridum, T. incarnatum, T. latifolium, T. leibergii, T. longipes, T. macraei, T. macrocephalum, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, T. owyheense, T. plumosum, T. pratense, T. productum, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. retusum, T. siskiyouense, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. tomentosum, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
T. albopurpureum, T. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. aureum, T. barbigerum, T. beckwithii, T. bifidum, T. breweri, T. campestre, T. cernuum, T. ciliolatum, T. cyathiferum, T. depauperatum, T. dichotomum, T. douglasii, T. dubium, T. echinatum, T. eriocephalum, T. fragiferum, T. fucatum, T. glomeratum, T. gymnocarpon, T. howellii, T. hybridum, T. incarnatum, T. latifolium, T. leibergii, T. longipes, T. macraei, T. macrocephalum, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, T. owyheense, T. plumosum, T. pratense, T. productum, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. retusum, T. siskiyouense, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. tomentosum, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
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