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narrow-leaf clover, narrow-leaf crimson clover

small white clover

Habit Herbs annual, 10–30 cm, appressed-pubescent. Herbs annual, 10–60 cm, glabrous or glabrescent.
Stems

erect, unbranched to sparsely branched.

usually erect or ascending, rarely prostrate, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules lanceolate to linear, 0.5–2.2 cm, margins entire, apex lanceolate-linear;

petiole 2–3 cm;

petiolules 1+ mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear-lanceolate, 3–5 × 0.2–0.4 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces hairy.

palmate;

stipules triangular-lanceolate, 0.4–0.8 cm, margins entire, apex dark purple or reddish, sharply recurved, subulate;

petiole 0.5–10 cm;

petiolules 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate or obtriangular, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–2.5 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins denticulate, apex rounded to emarginate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

terminal, 25–75-flowered, spicate, cylindric or conic, 3–8 × 1.5–2 cm;

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, 15–50-flowered, globose, 1–1.8 × 1–1.8 cm;

involucres a narrow rim, to 0.2 mm.

Peduncles

1–2.2 cm.

1.5–4 cm.

Pedicels

erect, 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

reflexed in fruit, 3–6 mm;

bracteoles narrowly oblanceolate, 3–6.5 mm.

Flowers

10–13 mm;

calyx tubular, 8–13 mm, tuberculate with appressed, stiff hairs, veins 10, tube 3–5 mm, lobes unequal, abaxial lobes longest, subulate-setaceous, spreading stellate in fruit, orifice closed by bilabiate callosities, hairy;

corolla usually pale pink or purple, rarely white, 9–12 mm, banner ovate-elliptic, 9–12 × 2–2.5 mm, apex notched.

6.5–9 mm;

calyx oblong, 3–5 mm, glabrous or pubescent, veins 5–10, tube 1–2.5 mm, lobes ± equal or unequal, triangular-lanceolate, recurved in fruit, margins green or purple, apex acute to acuminate, orifice open;

corolla pink or white, 6–9 mm, banner obovate-oblong, 6–9 × 1–2 mm, apex acute to emarginate.

Legumes

ovoid, leathery distally, transversely dehiscent, 2.2–2.5 mm.

linear-oblong, 3–4.5 mm.

Seeds

1, light brown or yellow, ovoid, 1.6–2 mm, smooth, glossy.

1–5, yellow or pale or dark brown, oblong, 1 mm, smooth.

2n

= 14, 16.

= 16.

Trifolium angustifolium

Trifolium nigrescens

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr. Flowering Mar–Oct.
Habitat Waste places, fields, meadows. Roadsides, lawns, fields, waste places.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CA; OR; SC; Europe; w Asia; n Africa; Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America (Chile, Uruguay), s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; TN; TX; s Europe; w Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium angustifolium is spreading rapidly in west-central California and is weedy in many regions globally (R. P. Randall 2002).

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

Trifolium nigrescens was shown, using molecular markers, to consist of three subspecies and to hybridize readily with T. repens (W. M. Williams et al. 2001). It was first introduced as a potential crop species in the early 1950s and is cultivated widely in the southeastern United States as a forage crop and as a nitrogen source in roadside grass plantings (C. S. Hoveland 1960).

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

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. andersonii, T. andinum, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 769. (1753) Viviani: Fl. Ital. Fragm., 12, plate 13. (1808)
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