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big-headed clover, largehead clover

bearded clover

Habit Plants perennial, erect or ascending, 5–25 cm, villous; branched. Plants annual, decumbent or erect, 7–20 cm, puberulent or glabrous; branched.
Leaves

palmate;

leaflets (5)7–9, broadly to narrowly obovate, often folded, 10–27 × 4–11 mm, bases cuneate;

margins serrulate or irregularly lobed;

veins thickened, especially distally;

tips rounded or truncate, apiculate;

surfaces abaxially villous, adaxially sparsely villous to glabrate;

petioles 10–140 mm;

petiolules 0.9–1.2 mm;

stipules ovate, obovate, or oblong, 10–30 mm;

margins entire.

palmate;

leaflets 3, oblanceolate or obovate, 15–25 × 4–7 mm, bases cuneate;

margins serrate to ± entire;

veins fine, thickened distally;

tips rounded or retuse;

surfaces pubescent or glabrous;

petioles 10–100 mm;

petiolules ? 0.5 mm;

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 5–11 mm;

margins toothed or lacerate;

tips acute-acuminate.

Inflorescences

terminal, 20–32-flowered, globose or ovoid-ellipsoidal, 25–80 × 30–70 mm;

involucres absent;

bracteoles broadly ovate, membranous; ? 0.5 mm, truncate.

axillary or terminal, 5–20-flowered, subglobose or globose, 6–15 × 10–15 mm;

involucres bowl-shaped;

bracts ± connate, 5–15 mm;

lobes 6–10; shallow, sharply setaceous-toothed;

tips acute;

bracteoles absent.

Peduncles

20–80 mm.

50–100 mm.

Pedicels

erect, 1–1.5 mm.

straight, 0.2 mm.

Flowers

20–30 mm;

calyces campanulate, 10–22 mm, villous;

veins 10–15;

tubes 2.5–4 mm;

lobes subulate, subequal, 2–4 × tube length, plumose;

orifices open;

corollas 20–28 mm, white; creamy white, or pinkish;

banners ovate or oblong, 20–28 × 10–13 mm;

tips rounded or slightly emarginate;

keel petals deep pink.

4–6 mm;

calyces campanulate, 5–9 mm; > corollas, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous;

veins 5;

lobes ± equal, often exceeding banner;

tips unbranched, setaceous;

tubes 2–3 mm;

orifices open;

corollas 5–8 mm, usually lavender to purple, rarely white, usually with white tips;

banners broadly oblong, proximally inflated in fruit, distally narrowed into twisted tip, 6–8 × 6–8 mm;

tips broadly acute.

Fruits

longitudinally dehiscent; ovoid, 4–5 mm; ? calyces.

ovoid-ellipsoid, 2–3 mm.

Seeds

1–2; mitten-shaped to ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, yellow or reddish; smooth.

1–2, ellipsoid to subglobose, 1–1.5 mm, brown, slightly roughened.

2n

=32, 48.

=16.

Trifolium macrocephalum

Trifolium barbigerum

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

Rocky places, hard, compacted clay gumbo, lava beds, sage-covered slopes. Flowering Apr–Jul. 0–2200 m. BR, BW, Col, ECas, Lava, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA. Native.

Trifolium macrocephalum has the largest inflorescences of any species in the genus. The name T. megacephalum is an illegitimate replacement name for Lupinaster macrocephalum.

Vernal pools, streambanks, meadows, lawns. Flowering May–Jul. 0–100 m. Est. CA. Native.

Trifolium barbigerum is morphologically similar to the Chilean species T. physanthum, to which it is a sister species in phylogenetic studies (Ellison et al. 2006).

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 734
Michael Vincent
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 723
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. 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. incarnatum, T. latifolium, T. leibergii, T. longipes, T. macraei, 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. 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. 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
Synonyms Trifolium barbigerum var. barbigerum
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