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Anderson's clover, fiveleaf clover

crimson clover, Italian clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 5–12 cm, canescent. Herbs usually annual, rarely biennial, 20–60 cm, short-villous.
Stems

erect-ascending, cespitose, mat-forming, branched;

from deep taproot-like crown.

erect, unbranched or sparsely branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate or lanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex long-acuminate;

petiole 1–5 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets (3–)5, blades obovate, 0.5–2.2 × 0.2–1.2 cm, base cuneate, veins obscured by pubescence, margins entire, apex rounded or acute, apiculate, surfaces canescent.

palmate;

stipules ovate, 1–2 cm, margins wavy or toothed, apex blunt or ± tapering distally;

petiole 1–8 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades broadly ovate, 1–3 × 1–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins denticulate, apex emarginate or retuse, surfaces with spreading, pustulate-based hairs.

Inflorescences

axillary, 10–20-flowered, depressed-globose, 1–2 × 1–2.3 cm;

involucres formed of connate, narrow, membranous bracts, to 0.5 mm.

terminal, 25–100-flowered, oblong, 2–7 × 1–2.5 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

1–14 cm.

2–10 cm.

Pedicels

absent;

bracteoles absent.

straight, 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

10–17 mm;

calyx campanulate, 9–11 mm, pilose, veins 10, tube 4–5 mm, lobes equal, subulate, plumose, orifice open;

corolla white or pink, 10–17 mm, banner ovate-oblong, 12–19 × 3–5 mm, apex rounded, retuse.

10–15 mm;

calyx tubular-campanulate, 10 mm, villous, veins 10, tube 3–4 mm, lobes equal, longer than tube, spreading in fruit, orifice narrowly opening;

corolla usually scarlet to red, rarely pink or white, 11–17 mm, banner oblong-elliptic, much longer than wing and keel petals, 10–16 × 2 mm, apex acute.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 4–5 mm.

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

Seeds

1 (or 2), tan or brown, irregularly ovoid, 1.6–2 mm, smooth, glossy.

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

2n

= 14.

Trifolium andersonii

Trifolium incarnatum

Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Meadows, roadsides, espe­cially in sandy soils.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
w United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America (Chile), e Asia (e China), s Africa, Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

Trifolium andersonii encompasses three moderately well separable subspecies, with subsp. andersonii the more northern form in the range of the species, subsp. monoense in the southwestern portion of the range, and subsp. beatleyae in the eastern portion of the range (J. M. Gillett 1972). Intermediates between the latter two (and overlap in their ranges) make differentiation between them somewhat problematic, which prompted R. C. Barneby (1989) to combine them as var. beatleyae.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Trifolium incarnatum was introduced to the United States in 1818 as a forage crop and green manure crop; it is used commonly as a winter grazing crop and in roadside grass plantings as a nitrogen source, especially in the southeastern states (W. E. Knight 1985). Reports of T. incarnatum in Manitoba, Ontario, and Montana appear to have been based on cultivated specimens.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaflet blades 0.5–1.1 cm, surfaces with appressed hairs to l mm; 3000–4000 m.
subsp. monoense
1. Leaflet blades 0.9–2.2 cm, surfaces with spreading hairs 1.5–2 mm; 800–2500 m.
→ 2
2. Peduncles l–3 cm, not overtopping leaves.
subsp. andersonii
2. Peduncles 4–14 cm, overtopping leaves.
subsp. beatleyae
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium
Sibling taxa
T. albopurpureum, T. alexandrinum, T. amoenum, T. amphianthum, T. andinum, T. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. attenuatum, T. aureum, T. barbigerum, T. barnebyi, T. beckwithii, T. bejariense, T. bifidum, T. bolanderi, T. brandegeei, T. breweri, T. buckwestiorum, T. calcaricum, T. campestre, T. carolinianum, T. cernuum, T. ciliolatum, T. columbinum, T. cyathiferum, T. dasyphyllum, T. dedeckerae, T. depauperatum, T. dichotomum, T. douglasii, T. dubium, T. echinatum, T. eriocephalum, T. fragiferum, T. friscanum, T. fucatum, T. glomeratum, T. gracilentum, T. grayi, T. gymnocarpon, T. haydenii, T. hirtum, T. howellii, T. hybridum, T. hydrophilum, T. incarnatum, T. jokerstii, T. kentuckiense, T. kingii, T. lappaceum, T. latifolium, T. leibergii, T. lemmonii, T. longipes, T. lupinaster, T. macilentum, T. macraei, T. macrocephalum, T. medium, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. monanthum, T. mucronatum, T. nanum, T. nigrescens, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, T. ornithopodioides, T. owyheense, T. palmeri, T. parryi, T. pinetorum, T. piorkowskii, T. plumosum, T. polyodon, T. pratense, T. productum, T. reflexum, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. retusum, T. rollinsii, T. siskiyouense, T. sonorense, T. stoloniferum, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, T. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
T. albopurpureum, T. alexandrinum, T. amoenum, T. amphianthum, T. andersonii, T. andinum, T. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. attenuatum, T. aureum, T. barbigerum, T. barnebyi, T. beckwithii, T. bejariense, T. bifidum, T. bolanderi, T. brandegeei, T. breweri, T. buckwestiorum, T. calcaricum, T. campestre, T. carolinianum, T. cernuum, T. ciliolatum, T. columbinum, T. cyathiferum, T. dasyphyllum, T. dedeckerae, T. depauperatum, T. dichotomum, T. douglasii, T. dubium, T. echinatum, T. eriocephalum, T. fragiferum, T. friscanum, T. fucatum, T. glomeratum, T. gracilentum, T. grayi, T. gymnocarpon, T. haydenii, T. hirtum, T. howellii, T. hybridum, T. hydrophilum, T. jokerstii, T. kentuckiense, T. kingii, T. lappaceum, T. latifolium, T. leibergii, T. lemmonii, T. longipes, T. lupinaster, T. macilentum, T. macraei, T. macrocephalum, T. medium, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. monanthum, T. mucronatum, T. nanum, T. nigrescens, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, T. ornithopodioides, T. owyheense, T. palmeri, T. parryi, T. pinetorum, T. piorkowskii, T. plumosum, T. polyodon, T. pratense, T. productum, T. reflexum, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. retusum, T. rollinsii, T. siskiyouense, T. sonorense, T. stoloniferum, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, T. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
Subordinate taxa
T. andersonii subsp. andersonii, T. andersonii subsp. beatleyae, T. andersonii subsp. monoense
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 522. (1865) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 769. (1753)
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