Trifolium dasyphyllum |
Trifolium brandegeei |
|
---|---|---|
alpine clover |
Brandegee's clover |
|
Habit | Herbs perennial, 5–20 cm, appressed-pubescent. | Herbs perennial, 5–15 cm, glabrous. |
Stems | cespitose, branched, numerous short stems. |
cespitose, short-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 broadly lanceolate, 1–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex acute-acuminate; petiole 0.6–1.2 cm; petiolules to 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades ovate, oblong-elliptic, or elliptic, 0.8–3 × 0.4–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins moderately thickened, margins entire or faintly serrate, apex acute to rounded or minutely 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, 4–15-flowered, ovoid-ellipsoid, 2.5–4 × 2.2–3 cm, rachis prolonged ca. 10 mm beyond distalmost flower; involucres absent. |
Peduncles | 2–17 cm. |
6–20 cm. |
Pedicels | erect, 1.5–2 mm; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, scarious, 2–6 mm, or scalelike. |
strongly reflexed, 1–2 mm; bracteoles linear, minute. |
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. |
15–18 mm; calyx whitish, campanulate, 7–10 mm, sparsely pubescent, veins 10, tube 4–5 mm, lobes subequal, longer than tube, narrowly triangular, acuminate, orifice open; corolla purple to magenta, 15–18 mm, banner broadly ovate, 15–17 × 7–9 mm, apex obtuse or retuse. |
Legumes | oblong, 4–6 mm. |
oblong, 6.5–7 mm. |
Seeds | 1–3, dark brown, ovoid-reniform, 2–2.5 mm, smooth. |
1–3, yellow and red, flattened ovoid, 2–2.5 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Trifolium dasyphyllum |
Trifolium brandegeei |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Alpine meadows, rocky slopes. | Open montane forests and subalpine areas. |
Elevation | 2100–4100 m. (6900–13500 ft.) | 3500–3700 m. (11500–12100 ft.) |
Distribution |
CO; MT; NM; UT; WY
|
CO; NM
|
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.) |
A close relationship between Trifolium brandegeei and T. parryi was hypothesized by J. M. Gillett (1965); this has not been borne out by flavonoid chemosystematics (E. V. Parups et al. 1966) or DNA analyses (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006). (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) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 130. (1876) — (as brandegei) |
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