Trifolium bifidum |
Trifolium obtusiflorum |
|
---|---|---|
notch-leaf clover, Pinole clover, piñole clover |
clammy clover, creek clover |
|
Habit | Herbs annual, 5–55 cm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous. | Herbs annual, 2–100 cm, resinous stipitate-glandular. |
Stems | erect, branched. |
erect or ascending, branched. |
Leaves | palmate; stipules ovate to lanceolate, 0.8–1.5 cm, margins entire or slightly serrate, apex acicular; petiole 1–7 cm; petiolules to 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades narrowly obcordate, obovate, oblanceolate, or linear, 1–2.5 × 0.3–0.7 cm, base cuneate, veins moderately thickened, margins serrate distally or entire, apex rounded, truncate, shallowly to deeply retuse, or deeply 2-fid, surfaces glabrous or hairy abaxially along midvein. |
palmate; stipules ovate, 1–1.5 cm, sheathing, margins deeply lacerate, apex acuminate; petiole 1.5–10 cm; petiolules to 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, rhombic, or obovate, 1.5–4 × 0.3–1.7 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins coarsely spinulose-serrate, apex acute, mucronate, surfaces glandular. |
Inflorescences | axillary or terminal, 5–30-flowered, globose to subglobose, 0.8–1.5 × 0.8–1.5 cm, rachis prolonged beyond flowers; involucres a very narrow rim, to 0.5 mm. |
axillary or terminal, 10–50-flowered, globose or ovoid, 1–3.5 × 1–3 cm; involucres flattened or bowl-shaped, 3–8 mm, when folded, not hiding flowers except proximally, incised 1/4–1/3 their length. |
Peduncles | 3–8 cm. |
3–15 cm, glandular. |
Pedicels | reflexed in fruit, 1–3 mm; bracteoles broadly triangular, membranous, to 0.5 mm. |
erect, 1 mm; bracteoles absent. |
Flowers | 6–8 mm; calyx campanulate, 3–3.6 mm, slightly hairy or glabrous, veins 10, tube 1–1.5 mm, lobes unequal, subulate, margins green or purple, orifice open; corolla pink or purple, 5–7 mm, banner elliptic to oblong, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, apex rounded, apiculate. |
13–20 mm; calyx tubular-campanulate, slit between adaxial lobes, 10–13 mm, glandular, veins 20+, tube 5–7 mm, lobes unequal, narrowly triangular or lanceolate-subulate, usually entire, rarely 3-fid or shouldered below apex, orifice open; corolla white or pale pinkish with dark purple spot, 10–18 mm, banner broadly elliptic, 10–18 × 2–4 mm, apex blunt. |
Legumes | stipitate, obovoid, 3–4 mm. |
obovoid, 3.5–4 mm. |
Seeds | 1 or 2, brown, mottled, oblong, 2–3 mm, smooth. |
1 or 2, brown, mottled, ellipsoid or mitten-shaped, 2.5 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Trifolium bifidum |
Trifolium obtusiflorum |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | Flowering Apr–Jul. |
Habitat | Open woodlands, fields, roadsides, slopes, stream margins, meadows. | Moist swales, creek bottoms. |
Elevation | 0–1200 m. (0–3900 ft.) | 0–1600 m. (0–5200 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
|
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California, Sinaloa)
|
Discussion | Trifolium bifidum ranges from Baja California, Mexico, northward through California to scattered sites in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Recent re-evaluation of Trifolium bifidum and related species showed complete overlap in characters for the two varieties that have been recognized previously, with no clear distinctions between them (L. Rogers, pers. comm.). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Trifolium obtusiflorum is much less common than the similar T. willdenovii, occurring in moist areas in cismontane California and north into Oregon (W. L. Jepson [1923–1925]). It is easy to distinguish from T. willdenovii by its glandularity, which causes fresh specimens to be sticky to the touch. (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 | ||
Synonyms | T. bifidum var. decipiens, T. greenei, T. hallii | T. majus, T. roscidum, T. tridentatum var. obtusiflorum |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 3: 102. (1864) | Hooker: Bot. Beechey Voy., 331. (1838) |
Web links |
|