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golden clover, golden hop clover, greater hop clover, hop clover, large hop clover, large hop trefoil, palmate hop clover, yellow clover

Habit Herbs annual, 20–60 cm, glabrous or hirsute.
Stems

erect, unbranched or profusely branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules oblanceolate, 0.9–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate or cuspidate;

petiole 0.8–1 cm;

petiolules 0–1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1–2.8 × 0.6–0.8 cm, base cuneate, lateral veins prominent, ± parallel, ascending, margins denticulate, apex acute, truncate, or retuse, mucronate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, 20–80-flowered, usually ovoid-cylindric, sometimes globose, 1.2–2 × 1.3 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

2–5 cm.

Pedicels

reflexed, 0.3–0.6 mm;

bracteoles a fringe of red setae.

Flowers

7–8 mm;

calyx campanulate, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous, veins 5, tube 0.8–1 mm, lobes unequal, adaxial deltate, 0.6–0.9 mm, 1/2 length of abaxial, abaxial linear, orifice open;

corolla golden yellow becoming brown, 5–6 mm, banner persistent, obovate, boat-shaped, 4–4.5 × 2.4–2.6 mm, apex emarginate.

Legumes

stipitate, oblong, 3–3.5 mm, longer than calyx.

Seeds

1, pale yellow-green, ovoid, 1–1.2 mm, smooth, glossy.

2n

= 14, 16.

Trifolium aureum

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Roadsides, railroads, fields, disturbed woodland glades.
Elevation 0–1700 m. (0–5600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM; n Europe; c Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America (Argentina, Chile), e Asia (e China), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium agrarium Linnaeus is a rejected name that has been used historically for T. aureum (J. E. Dandy 1958; N. J. Turland et al. 1996).

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

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium
Sibling taxa
T. albopurpureum, T. alexandrinum, T. amoenum, T. amphianthum, T. andersonii, T. andinum, T. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. attenuatum, 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
Synonyms Chrysaspis aurea
Name authority Pollich: Hist. Pl. Palat. 2: 344. (1777)
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