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foothill clover

canyon clover, Howell's clover

Habit Plants annual, erect, 5–50 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy; branched. Plants perennial, erect, 30–100 cm, glabrous; stems unbranched or branched distally, fistulose.
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.

palmate;

leaflets 3; ovate, elliptic, or rhombic, 35–95 × 23–50 mm, bases cuneate;

margins serrate to nearly entire;

veins obscure;

tips acute, rounded, or obtuse;

surfaces glabrous;

petioles 5–200 mm;

petiolules 1–1.5 mm;

stipules ovate, 15–45 mm;

margins entire, sometimes lobed;

tips acuminate.

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 or axillary, 20–70-flowered, globose or ellipsoidal, 25–40 × 20–25 mm;

rachises prolonged beyond flowers, undivided or forked, often bearing cluster of sterile flower buds distally;

involucres absent;

bracteoles minute, membranous; blunt or acute.

Peduncles

25–120 mm.

30–110 mm.

Pedicels

erect but becoming reflexed, 0.5–6 mm.

erect in bud, reflexed in flower and fruit; ~1 mm.

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.

10–14 mm;

calyces campanulate, gibbous, 4–5.5 mm, glabrous;

veins 10;

tubes 2–2.5 mm;

lobes linear-lanceolate, subequal;

orifices open;

corollas 11–12 mm, white to greenish white or greenish yellow;

banners elliptic-oblong, 11–12 × 4–5 mm;

tips obtuse.

Fruits

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

longitudinally dehiscent, oblong or clavate, 4–5 mm; ? calyces.

Seeds

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

1–3, angular; mitten-shaped, 2.5 mm; reddish black or brown; smooth or slightly roughened; dull.

2n

=16.

Trifolium ciliolatum

Trifolium howellii

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.

Wet streambanks and meadows, river floodplains, shady woodlands, springs, thickets. Flowering Jun–Aug. 400–1900 m. Casc, Sisk. CA. Native.

Trifolium howellii is of conservation concern and is very narrowly distributed in northern California and Oregon (Gillett 1972). It has some of the largest leaves of any Trifolium species in North America.

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. hirtum, 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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