Trifolium dubium |
Trifolium lemmonii |
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least hop clover, lesser hop clover, lesser hop trefoil, little hop clover, shamrock, small hop-clover, suckling clover |
Lemmon's clover |
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Habit | Herbs annual, 20–40 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. | Herbs perennial, subcaulescent, 10–20 cm, appressed-pubescent. |
Stems | erect to prostrate, branched from base. |
cespitose, branched. |
Leaves | pinnate; stipules ovate, 0.3–0.5 cm, margins entire, apex acute; petiole to 1.5 cm; lateral leaflet petiolules to 0.5 mm, terminal leaflet stalk 1–1.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades obovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.5–1.5 cm, base cuneate, lateral veins prominent, ± parallel, ascending, margins dentate distally, apex rounded or retuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
palmate; stipules ovate to lanceolate, 0.8–1 cm, margins irregularly lobed, apex acuminate; petiole 1–16.5 cm; petiolules 0.5 mm; leaflets 3–7, blades obovate or elliptic, 0.9–1.9 × 0.5–0.8 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent abaxially, margins coarsely dentate, apex rounded, acute, or mucronate, surfaces strigose. |
Inflorescences | axillary or terminal, 5–20-flowered, ovoid or globose, 0.5–0.9 × 0.6 cm; involucres absent. |
terminal or axillary, 15–30-flowered, globose to subglobose, 2–3 × 2–3 cm; involucres a narrow membranous, dentate rim, to 0.2 mm. |
Peduncles | 1–1.5 cm. |
sharply bent distally, just below flowers, 5–15 cm, surpassing leaves. |
Pedicels | reflexed, 0.2–0.5 mm; bracteoles a fringe of red setae. |
reflexed in fruit, 2–3 mm; bracteoles minute, cuplike, membranous, minute. |
Flowers | 2.8–3.5 mm; calyx campanulate, 1.5–2 mm, glabrous, veins 5, tube 0.8–1 mm, lobes unequal, longer than tube, adaxial 2 shorter, orifice open; corolla pale yellow becoming brown, 2.6–3.2 mm, not or slightly ribbed, banner persistent, spatulate, 2.6–3.2 × 2 mm, apex rounded to broadly acute. |
11–13 mm; calyx purple, campanulate, 3–5 mm, slightly pilose, veins 5 (obscure), tube 2–2.5 mm, lobes subequal, subulate, orifice open; corolla white to pink, 10–12 mm, banner oblong-obovate, 10–12 × 4–5 mm, apex rounded, emarginate. |
Legumes | stipitate, ellipsoid, 1.5–2 mm, short beaked. |
oblong, 3.2–3.5 mm. |
Seeds | 1, yellow or pale brown, ellipsoid, 0.9–1 mm, smooth, glossy. |
1, dark brown, ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 16, 28, 32. |
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Trifolium dubium |
Trifolium lemmonii |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Oct. | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Disturbed ground, fields. | Dry, rocky soils, roadsides. |
Elevation | 0–2300 m. (0–7500 ft.) | 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.) |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM; c Europe; s Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America, e Asia (e China), n, s Africa, Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia]
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CA; NV
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Discussion | Trifolium dubium is often confused with Medicago lupulina Linnaeus; the latter may be distinguished by its toothed stipules, deciduous corollas, and shiny, black fruits. Little hop clover may be the co-called shamrock of Irish folklore (E. C. Nelson 1991; P. S. Wyse Jackson 2014); other candidates include other species of Trifolium or species of Medicago or Oxalis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Populations of Trifolium lemmonii studied by S. J. Sommer (1999) fall into two groups, east (in Sierra County, California, and Washoe County, Nevada) and west (in Plumas County, California) of a gap where no suitable habitat is known; gene flow between these two regions appears to be limited. (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 | Chrysaspis dubia, T. minus | Lupinaster lemmonii |
Name authority | Sibthorp: Fl. Oxon., 231. (1794) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 127. (1876) — (as lemmoni) |
Web links |
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