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big-headed clover, largehead clover

Brewer's clover

Habit Plants perennial, erect or ascending, 5–25 cm, villous; branched. Plants perennial, erect or ascending, 5–50 cm, glaucous, sparsely appressed-pubescent; 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.

pinnate;

leaflets 3, obovate to obcordate, 3–15 × 3–12 mm, bases cuneate;

margins dentate;

veins thickened, recurved;

tips obtuse or emarginate;

surfaces abaxially sparsely hairy, adaxially glabrous;

petioles 3–40 mm;

petiolules ~0.5 mm;

stipules lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 3–10 mm;

margins entire;

tips long-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, 5–25-flowered, globose, 13–15 × 13–15 mm;

rachises sometimes prolonged beyond flowers;

involucres absent;

bracteoles minute.

Peduncles

20–80 mm.

proximal to inflorescence, 30–50 mm;

flowers appearing inverted.

Pedicels

erect, 1–1.5 mm.

strongly reflexed in fruit, 2–3 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.

11–13 mm;

calyces tubular, 6–8 mm, pilose or glabrous;

veins 10;

tubes 1.5–2 mm;

lobes subulate, subequal;

margins entire;

orifices open;

corollas 6–10 mm; rose-pink or creamy white;

banners ovate-oblong, 6–10 × 3 mm; as long as wing and keel petals;

tips rounded or emarginate.

Fruits

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

longitudinally dehiscent; ovoid-ellipsoid, 7–10 mm; ? calyces; short-stipitate.

Seeds

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

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

2n

=32, 48.

=16.

Trifolium macrocephalum

Trifolium breweri

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.

Wooded areas, roadsides, mixed evergreen or pine forests. Flowering Jun–Jul. 500–1000 m. Sisk. CA; south to Mexico. Native.

Trifolium breweri was considered by Martin (1943) as a remarkably morphologically uniform species; it was considered by Clements (1920) as a foundational species in the Sierran Montane Forest Pinus Association climax formation.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 734
Michael Vincent
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 724
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. barbigerum, T. beckwithii, T. bifidum, 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
Web links