Trifolium dasyphyllum |
Trifolium bolanderi |
|
---|---|---|
alpine clover |
Bolander's clover, parasol clover |
|
Habit | Herbs perennial, 5–20 cm, appressed-pubescent. | Herbs perennial, 15–30 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | cespitose, branched, numerous short stems. |
ascending, cespitose, branched. |
Leaves | palmate; stipules lanceolate-linear, 1.5–2 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate; petiole 0.6–3.5 cm; petiolules to 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades oblong-elliptic, oblanceolate, or obovate, sometimes folded, 0.6–3.2 × 0.2–0.6 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or hairy. |
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. |
Inflorescences | axillary or terminal, 5–16-flowered, globose, 1.5–3.5 × 1.2–3.3 cm; involucres formed of proximal bracteoles, bases sometimes connate. |
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. |
Peduncles | 2–17 cm. |
slender, bent distally, just below flowers, 5–20 cm. |
Pedicels | erect, 1.5–2 mm; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, scarious, 2–6 mm, or scalelike. |
strongly reflexed, 1–1.2 mm; bracteoles minute, cuplike. |
Flowers | 12–16 mm; calyx campanulate, 6–9 mm, pubescent, veins 10, tube 2–5 mm, lobes unequal, linear-subulate, orifice open; corolla often bicolored cream and violet, sometimes all red-purple or violet, 1.2–1.6 mm, banner broadly elliptic-ovate, 11–15 × 4–5 mm, folded distally, apex rounded, apiculate; ovaries pubescent distally. |
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. |
Legumes | oblong, 4–6 mm. |
ellipsoid, 3–4 mm. |
Seeds | 1–3, dark brown, ovoid-reniform, 2–2.5 mm, smooth. |
1 or 2, brown, ellipsoid, 1.2–1.5 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Trifolium dasyphyllum |
Trifolium bolanderi |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Alpine meadows, rocky slopes. | Meadows. |
Elevation | 2100–4100 m. (6900–13500 ft.) | 2000–2300 m. (6600–7500 ft.) |
Distribution |
CO; MT; NM; UT; WY
|
CA |
Discussion | Three subspecies of Trifolium dasyphyllum were recognized by J. M. Gillett (1965), but he commented on the overlap in diagnostic characters of the subspecies. In their monograph of Trifolium, M. Zohary and D. Heller (1984) mirrored the treatment by Gillett, and also commented on intermediacy of characters in some specimens. The subspecies were not accepted by R. D. Dorn (1988), citing extensive intergradation, or by R. C. Barneby (1989), citing variability within T. dasyphyllum that is not linked with distribution or other morphological features. Trifolium dasyphyllum is found from eastern Utah and from Santa Fe County in New Mexico northward through central Colorado to central and northwestern Wyoming and Cascade, Gallatin, and Madison counties in Montana. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium | Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | T. anemophilum, T. dasyphyllum subsp. anemophilum, T. dasyphyllum subsp. uintense, T. dasyphyllum var. uintense, T. lividum, T. scariosum, T. uintense | |
Name authority | Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 315. (1838) | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 335. (1868) |
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