The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Bolander's clover, parasol clover

andrews' clover, Gray's clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 15–30 cm, glabrous. Herbs annual, 10–40 cm, densely pubescent or glabrate.
Stems

ascending, cespitose, branched.

erect, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate or lanceolate, 0.6–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex acute;

petiole 1–7 cm;

petiolules to 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obcordate, obovate, or elliptic, 1–1.9 × 0.5–1.1 cm, base cuneate, veins fine to slightly thickened, margins setose, apex obtuse, rounded, or emarginate, apiculate, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules ovate, 0.5–1.5 cm, margins toothed or lacerate, apex acute-acuminate;

petiole 1–15 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins dentate-serrate to crenulate, teeth shortly aristate, apex obtuse or broadly acute, surfaces pubescent or glabrate.

Inflorescences

terminal, 12–30-flowered, ovoid, 1–2 × 1.5–3 cm, rachis prolonged beyond flowers, undivided or forked, often bearing sterile flower buds distally;

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, 5–30-flowered, subglobose or globose, 1.8–3 × 2–3 cm;

involucres bowl-shaped, 10–25 mm, lobes 6–16, sharply setaceous-toothed, sinuses shallow.

Peduncles

slender, bent distally, just below flowers, 5–20 cm.

2–15 cm.

Pedicels

strongly reflexed, 1–1.2 mm;

bracteoles minute, cuplike.

straight, 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

12–14 mm;

calyx deep violet, campanulate, gibbous, 3–5 mm, glabrous, veins 5, tube 1.5–2 mm, lobes unequal, triangular-subulate, orifice open;

corolla lavender to purplish, 11–12 mm, banner curved, oblanceolate, 10–12 × 3–4 mm, apex narrow, rounded, slightly emarginate.

10–17 mm;

calyx campanulate, 6–13 mm, pubescent, veins 5, tube 3–5 mm, lobes unequal, setaceous, abaxial inconspicuously 2- or 3-fid, adaxial unbranched, segments plumose, orifice open;

corolla usually lavender or purple, sometimes purple with white tips, 8–16 mm, banner oblong, proximally inflated in fruit, distally narrowed into twisted tip, 3–5 × 10–13 mm, apex obtuse, truncate, or emarginate.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 3–4 mm.

stipitate, ovoid-ellipsoid, 2.5–4 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, brown, ellipsoid, 1.2–1.5 mm, smooth.

1 or 2, pale brown, mottled, ellipsoid to mitten-shaped, 1.6–2 mm, rugose.

Trifolium bolanderi

Trifolium grayi

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Meadows. Wet meadows, foothill slopes, pine woodlands.
Elevation 2000–2300 m. (6600–7500 ft.) 0–600 m. (0–2000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium bolanderi is known from the Sierra Nevada in California and may be vulnerable to shifts in climate patterns. Genetic diversity of populations of the species (based on allozyme patterns) was found to be relatively high; two genetically distinct groups of populations are known (R. G. Denton 2002).

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

Trifolium grayi, which ranges from San Luis Obispo County in the south to Mendocino County in the north, and eastward into Amador, Sacramento, and Tuolumne counties, has long been considered a variety of T. barbigerum and some authors claim that intermediates between the two species are encountered (J. S. Martin 1943; D. Isely 1998); others state that the two taxa are distinct (L. F. McDermott 1910; M. A Vincent and R. Morgan 1998).

Trifolium andrewsii (A. Gray) A. Heller is an illegitimate superfluous name that pertains here.

(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. angustifolium, T. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. attenuatum, T. aureum, T. barbigerum, T. barnebyi, T. beckwithii, T. bejariense, T. bifidum, 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. 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 T. barbigerum var. andrewsii, T. barbigerum var. lilacinum, T. lilacinum
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 335. (1868) Lojacono: Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. 15: 189. (1883)
Web links