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bowl clover, cup clover

canyon clover, Howell's clover

Habit Herbs annual, 5–50 cm, glabrous. Herbs perennial, 30–100 cm, glabrous.
Stems

erect, branched.

erect, fistulose, unbranched or branched distally.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate to lanceolate, 0.6–1.2 cm, margins entire, toothed, or lacerate, apex acute or aristate;

petiole 1–10 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate, elliptic, or oblanceolate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, green, margins finely toothed, apex rounded, blunt, or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules ovate, 1.5–4.5 cm, margins usually entire, sometimes lobed, apex acuminate;

petiole 0.5–20 cm;

petiolules 1–1.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades ovate, elliptic, or rhombic, 3.5–9.5 × 2.3–5 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure, margins ± serrate, apex acute, rounded, or obtuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, 1–35-flowered, subglobose or ovoid, 0.5–1.8 × 0.5–2 cm;

involucres broadly bowl-shaped, 4–22 mm, shallowly incised, lobes 3–15, toothed, broad, acute.

terminal or axillary, 20–70-flowered, globose or ellipsoid, 2.5–4 × 2–2.5 cm, rachis prolonged beyond flowers, undivided or forked, often bearing sterile flower buds distally;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

1–8 cm.

3–11 cm.

Pedicels

straight, 0.1–0.2 mm;

bracteoles absent.

strongly reflexed in fruit, 1 mm;

bracteoles minute, blunt or acute, membranous.

Flowers

7–15 mm;

calyx campanulate, inflated in fruit, 6–13 mm, glabrous, veins 13–20, tube 3–7 mm, lobes unequal, strongly oblique, broadly triangular, apex setaceous, adaxial unbranched, abaxial and lateral conspicuously 2- or 3-fid, segments glabrous, sometimes flattened, orifice open;

corolla usually creamy white or rose to pink, sometimes whitish with pinkish tips, 6–13 mm, banner obovate or elliptic, proximally inflated in fruit, distally narrowed into twisted tip, 6–13 × 3–6 mm, apex rounded to broadly acute.

10–14 mm;

calyx campanulate, gibbous, 4–5.5 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2–2.5 mm, lobes subequal, linear-lanceolate, orifice open;

corolla white, lemon yellow, or greenish yellow, 11–12 mm, banner elliptic-oblong, 11–12 × 4–5 mm, apex obtuse.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm.

oblong or clavate, 4–5 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, yellow-brown, ovoid, 0.4–0.6 mm, smooth.

1–3, reddish black or brown, angular, mitten-shaped, 2.5 mm, smooth or slightly roughened, dull.

2n

= 16.

Trifolium cyathiferum

Trifolium howellii

Phenology Flowering Apr–Oct. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Wet meadows, roadsides, fields. Wet stream banks, wet meadows, flood plains, shady woodlands, springs, thickets.
Elevation 0–2700 m. (0–8900 ft.) 800–2000 m. (2600–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; BC; YT [Introduced in Asia (China, Japan)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium cyathiferum may be of hybrid origin; phylogenetic studies indicate it has the same trnL intron sequence as T. buckwestiorum, T. polyodon, and T. variegatum and nrDNA and combined analyses place it in a clade with other species (T. barbigerum, T. fucatum, T. jokerstii, and T. physanthum Hooker & Arnott) that have inflated fruiting corollas (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006).

The single record of Trifolium cyathiferum labeled as from Utah is likely mislabeled (S. L. Welsh et al. 2008). Populations in Yukon may be introductions.

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

Trifolium howellii is known from Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties in California, and Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, and Linn counties in Oregon (J. M. Gillett 1972). It has some of the largest leaves of any species of Trifolium in North America.

(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. bolanderi, T. brandegeei, T. breweri, T. buckwestiorum, T. calcaricum, T. campestre, T. carolinianum, T. cernuum, T. ciliolatum, T. columbinum, 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. 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
Name authority Lindley: Bot. Reg. 13: sub plate 1070. (1827) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 262. (1888)
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