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foothill clover

crimson clover

Habit Plants annual, erect, 5–50 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy; branched. Plants usually annual, rarely biennial, erect, 20–60 cm, short-villous; unbranched or sparsely 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, broadly ovate, 10–30 × 10–15 mm, bases cuneate;

margins denticulate;

veins fine;

tips emarginate or retuse;

surfaces with spreading pustule-based hairs;

petioles 10–80 mm;

petiolules 1 mm;

stipules ovate, 10–20 mm;

margins wavy or toothed;

tips blunt or somewhat tapering distally.

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, 25–100-flowered, oblong, 20–70 × 10–25 mm;

involucres absent;

bracteoles absent.

Peduncles

25–120 mm.

20–100 mm.

Pedicels

erect but becoming reflexed, 0.5–6 mm.

straight; ~0.5 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.

10–15 mm;

calyces tubular-campanulate; ~10 mm, villous;

veins 10;

tubes 3–4 mm;

lobes spreading in fruit; equal; > tube;

orifices narrowly opening;

corollas 11–17 mm, usually scarlet to red, rarely pink or white;

banners oblong-elliptic; much > wings and keel petals, 10–16 × 2 mm;

tips acute.

Fruits

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

transversely dehiscent; ovoid, 2.5–3 mm; leathery distally.

Seeds

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

1, ellipsoid, 2–2.5 mm; reddish; smooth; glossy.

2n

=16.

=14.

Trifolium ciliolatum

Trifolium incarnatum

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.

Meadows, roadsides, especially in sandy soil. Flowering May–Jun. 0–200 m. Sisk, WV. CA, ID, WA; scattered throughout North America; worldwide. Exotic.

Trifolium incarnatum is native to Europe and was introduced to the United States in 1818 as a forage and green manure crop; it is commonly used as a winter grazing crop and in roadside grass plantings as a nitrogen source, especially in the southeastern states (Knight 1985). It is commonly found as a weed worldwide.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 725
Michael Vincent
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 731
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. howellii, T. hybridum, 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
Web links