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woolly-head clover

olive clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 12–46 cm, sparsely hairy to densely villous, appressed-pubescent, or glabrate. Herbs annual, 8–30 cm, canescent.
Stems

erect or decumbent, branched.

erect, branched from base and distally, or unbranched.

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 ovate, 0.4–1.2 cm, margins entire, ciliate, apex often purple, acuminate, setaceous;

petiole 0.5–8 cm;

petiolules 0.5–1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate or elliptic, 0.5–3 × 0.3–1.2 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure or slightly thickened, margins dentate, apex rounded or emarginate, surfaces pilose.

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.

terminal or axillary, 25–50-flowered, ovoid-ellipsoid, 1–2.5 × 1.2–2.5 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

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

3–11 cm.

Pedicels

reflexed, to 0.3 mm;

bracteoles absent.

absent;

bracteoles cuplike, to 0.5 mm.

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.

6–10 mm;

calyx tubular, 8–14 mm, densely pubescent, veins 20–30, tube 1–2 mm, lobes nearly equal, appearing rigidly erect, linear-setaceous, plumose, sinuses acute, orifice open;

corolla sometimes absent, red-violet, often with white tips, 4–6 mm, banner ovate-oblong, 7–8 × 2–3 mm, apex broadly rounded, apiculate.

Legumes

ovoid, 2–3.5 mm.

obovoid, 3–3.5 mm.

Seeds

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

1, yellow-brown, ellipsoid, 2–2.5 mm, smooth.

Trifolium eriocephalum

Trifolium columbinum

Phenology Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Grassy slopes, meadows, heavy adobe/clay soils, oak woodland foothills.
Elevation 0–1400 m. [0–4600 ft.]
Distribution
from USDA
w United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
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.)

D. Isely (1998) stated that Central Valley populations of Trifolium columbinum appeared to be extinct and populations outside that region (and here recognized as the same taxon) were similar in calyx and corolla proportions. It is rather widespread in California, ranging from Humboldt County southward to Santa Barbara County, and eastward into counties ranging from Shasta southward to Inyo, Kern, and Placer counties.

Trifolium albopurpureum var. olivaceum (Greene) Isely and T. columbinum var. olivaceum (Greene) Jepson are illegitimate names that pertain here (D. J. Keil 2019).

(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. 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. 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. columbinum, T. columbinum var. argillorum, T. olivaceum, T. olivaceum var. columbinum, T. olivaceum var. griseum
Name authority Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 313. (1838) Greene: Pittonia 1: 4. (1887)
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