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foothill clover, tree clover

plumed clover

Habit Herbs annual, 5–50 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Herbs perennial, 10–60 cm, villous.
Stems

erect, branched.

erect, branched or unbranched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.5 cm, margins entire, sometimes ciliate, apex acuminate;

petiole 1–13 cm;

petiolules 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades elliptic to oblong or obovate, 0.8–3.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins serrate proximally, obscurely denticulate distally, apex usually rounded or retuse, rarely acute, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules linear, oblong, or ovate, 1.5–2.5 cm, margins entire or slightly serrulate, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole 1–20 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear, elliptic, oblong, or lanceolate-elliptic, often folded, falcate, 4–11 × 0.1–1.6 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins denticulate, apex acute or acuminate, surfaces villous.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, 10–30-flowered, ovoid to subglobose, 0.7–2.2 × 0.5–2 cm;

involucres a narrow rim, 0.5 mm, membranous, dentate.

terminal, 70–80-flowered, spicate, ovoid to cylindric, 3–6 × 2.5–3 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

2.5–12 cm.

2–6 cm.

Pedicels

erect becoming reflexed, 0.5–6 mm;

bracteoles linear or cup-shaped, to 1 mm.

erect or absent, 0–0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

6–13 mm;

calyx broadly campanulate, 5–11 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 1–5 mm, lobes unequal, elliptic to linear, margins hyaline, dentate or pectinate, ciliate, sinuses narrow, orifice open;

corolla white, pink, or purple, 5–13 mm, banner broadly ovate, 6–13 × 4–7 mm, apex rounded, apiculate.

17–18 mm;

calyx campanulate, 5 mm, villous, veins 20, tube 2.5 mm, lobes subequal, subulate, straight, orifice open;

corolla creamy white, keel petals crimson, 12–22 mm, banner oblong, 12–22 × 3–5 mm, apex acute;

ovaries glabrous or pubescent distally.

Legumes

short-stipitate, ovoid, 5–10 mm.

obovoid, 4–5 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, brown, mottled, ovoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth.

1–3, reddish brown or tan, ellipsoid, 1.8–2 mm, smooth, glossy.

2n

= 16.

= 32.

Trifolium ciliolatum

Trifolium plumosum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Oak-pine chaparral, meadows, roadsides.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
nw United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium ciliolatum is relatively widespread in California and is found in scattered sites in Baja California, Oregon, and Washington.

Trifolium ciliatum Nuttall (1848), which pertains here, is a later homonym of T. ciliatum E. D. Clarke (1813).

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

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

J. M. Gillett (1972) stated that the leaflet width in the basal leaves is the best distinction between the two subspecies, which are geographically isolated.

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

Key
1. Leaflet blades of basal leaves 0.2–0.5(–0.7) cm wide, apex acuminate; herbs 20–35 cm.
subsp. plumosum
1. Leaflet blades of basal leaves (0.8–)0.9–1.6 cm wide, apex acute; herbs 10–60 cm.
subsp. amplifolium
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. bolanderi, T. brandegeei, T. breweri, T. buckwestiorum, T. calcaricum, T. campestre, T. carolinianum, T. cernuum, 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. nigrescens, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, T. ornithopodioides, T. owyheense, T. palmeri, T. parryi, T. pinetorum, T. piorkowskii, 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. plumosum subsp. amplifolium, T. plumosum subsp. plumosum
Synonyms T. ciliatum var. discolor
Name authority Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 304. (1849) Douglas in W. J. Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 130, plate 49. (1831)
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