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woolly-head clover

Indian clover, rancheria clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 12–46 cm, sparsely hairy to densely villous, appressed-pubescent, or glabrate. Herbs annual, 5–40 cm, pubescent.
Stems

erect or decumbent, branched.

erect, branched from base.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules lanceolate or ovate, 1–5 cm, margins entire or denticulate, apex acuminate or acute;

petiole 1–15 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear, linear-elliptic, elliptic, lanceolate, lanceolate-oblong, or obovate, 1–5 × 0.4–1.2 cm, base cuneate, veins fine or ± thickened, margins denticulate or serrulate, apex acuminate or acute, surfaces appressed-pubescent abaxially, glabrous, densely villous, or sparsely or densely pilose adaxially.

palmate;

stipules elliptic-ovate, 0.6–1 cm, margins entire, toothed, or remotely lobed, ciliate, apex acuminate;

petiole 0.5–7 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate or elliptic, 0.5–2 × 0.2–1 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure or slightly thickened, margins serrate, apex acute or obtuse, often retuse, surfaces pubescent.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, 25–70-flowered, inverted or horizontal, ellipsoid or globose to subglobose, 2–3 × 1–3 cm, rachis prolonged beyond flowers;

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, 25–50-flowered, ovoid-ellipsoid, 1–1.8 × 0.8–1.5 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

bent distally, proximal to flowers, 3–18 cm.

0.5–10 cm.

Pedicels

reflexed, to 0.3 mm;

bracteoles absent.

absent;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

9–18 mm;

calyx campanulate, curved in fruit, 4–11 mm, villous, veins 10, tube 1.5–2.5 mm, lobes unequal, 2–3 times tube, subulate, often strongly curved and twisted, plumose, orifice open;

corolla white, cream, or purple, 8–16 mm, banner oblanceolate, 8–16 × 3–5 mm, apex rounded or retuse, recurved;

ovaries pubescent distally.

6–9 mm;

calyx campanulate, 6–8 mm, densely pubescent, veins 10 (additional faint veins sometimes present), tube 1–2 mm, lobes unequal, narrowly triangular, subulate, sinuses rounded, lobes divergent, orifice open;

corolla white with purple tips, 4–6 mm, banner narrowly elliptic, 6–7 × 2 mm, apex acute, slightly erose.

Legumes

ovoid, 2–3.5 mm.

broadly ellipsoid, 2.8–3.2 mm.

Seeds

(1 or)2–4, yellow-brown to brown, mitten-shaped or subglobose, 1.2–2 mm, smooth.

1 (or 2), yellow or brown, often red-mottled, ellipsoid, 2–2.6 mm, smooth, glossy.

2n

= 16.

Trifolium eriocephalum

Trifolium albopurpureum

Phenology Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Grassy foothills and valleys.
Elevation 0–2100 m. [0–6900 ft.]
Distribution
from USDA
w United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; OR; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 6 (6 in the flora).

Trifolium eriocephalum was revised by J. M. Gillett (1971). The subspecies exhibit unusually complex distributional patterns, and overlapping morphological features sometimes make identifications problematic (M. Zohary and D. Heller 1984).

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

Trifolium albopurpureum is a widespread member of a closely allied group of species, including T. amoenum, T. dichotomum, and T. columbinum, that intergrade to varying degrees and may co-occur in some populations. The great similarity among these species has led to a maddening array of synonyms as new suites of species have been recognized and various new combinations have been made. In spite of the resultant confusion, these species are relatively distinct and are differentiated on the following characters: inflorescences generally greater than 3 cm diam. (T. amoenum) versus less than 2.5 cm diam. in the others; corollas usually 8–12 mm with calyx lobes 2–3 times the tube (T. dichotomum), versus corollas usually 5–8.5 mm with calyx lobes 3–6 times the tube; calyces 8–12+ mm with lobes exceeding the corollas by 3–6 mm (T. columbinum), versus calyces 4–9 mm with lobes equaling the corollas or exceeding them by 1.5–2 mm (D. Isely 1998; M. A. Vincent and Isely 2012).

Trifolium albopurpureum is widespread in California, northward through Oregon in coastal counties, and with scattered populations known from Washington and Arizona.

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

Key
1. Ovules usually 2, rarely 1 or 3; calyx lobes usually green, rarely purple, straight, subequal, 3–4 timestube.
→ 2
2. Herbs densely villous; leaflet blades of basal and median leaves elliptic or lanceolate-oblong; roots cylindric, thickened.
subsp. eriocephalum
2. Herbs slightly villous, appressed-pubescent, or glabrate; leaflet blades of basal and med­ian leaves usually narrowly lanceolate or lin­ear, rarely narrowly elliptic; roots fusiform-tuberous.
subsp. cascadense
1. Ovules 3 or 4; calyx lobes usually purple, contorted, abaxial lobes longer, lateral lobes 1–1.5 times tube.
→ 3
3. Leaflet blades of basal leaves linear or linear-elliptic, apex acute, surfaces sparsely or densely hairy adaxially; roots cylindric, thickened, branched, often rhizomelike.
→ 4
4. Blades of leaflets of median leaves linear or linear-elliptic; herbs slightly villous.
subsp. cusickii
4. Blades of leaflets of median leaves broadly elliptic; herbs densely villous.
subsp. villiferum
3. Leaflet blades of basal leaves obovate, apex rounded to retuse, surfaces usually glabrous adaxially, sometimes sparsely hairy; roots fusiform-tuberous.
→ 5
5. Inflorescences 2.5 cm diam., significantly overtopping distal leaves; leaflet blades of median leaves broadly lanceolate, surfaces sparsely hairy or glabrous adaxially.
subsp. arcuatum
5. Inflorescences 1 cm diam., scarcely over­topping distal leaves; leaflet blades of median leaves narrowly lanceolate or linear, surfaces densely villous adaxially.
subsp. martinii
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. cyathiferum, T. dasyphyllum, T. dedeckerae, T. depauperatum, T. dichotomum, T. douglasii, T. dubium, T. echinatum, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
T. eriocephalum subsp. arcuatum, T. eriocephalum subsp. cascadense, T. eriocephalum subsp. cusickii, T. eriocephalum subsp. eriocephalum, T. eriocephalum subsp. martinii, T. eriocephalum subsp. villiferum
Synonyms T. albopurpureum var. neolagopus, T. helleri, T. macraei var. albopurpureum, T. neolagopus, T. pseudoalbopurpureum
Name authority Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 313. (1838) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 313. (1838)
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