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big-headed clover, largehead clover

rose clover

Habit Plants perennial, erect or ascending, 5–25 cm, villous; branched. Plants annual, curved-ascending, 10–35 cm, densely spreading-hairy; 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 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

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

involucres absent;

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

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

20–80 mm.

absent.

Pedicels

erect, 1–1.5 mm.

absent.

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.

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, 4–5 mm; ? calyces.

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

Seeds

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

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

2n

=32, 48.

=10.

Trifolium macrocephalum

Trifolium hirtum

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.

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 734
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. 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. 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
Web links