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rose clover

few-flower clover, few-flowerered clover

Habit Herbs annual, 10–35 cm, densely spreading-hairy. Herbs annual, 10–50 cm, glabrous.
Stems

curved-ascending, branched.

erect, dichotomously branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules lanceolate-ovate, 0.8–1.8 cm, margins entire, apex long-setaceous;

petiole 0.5–5 cm;

petiolules 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate to oblong, 0.8–2.5 × 0.5–1.3 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, closely-spaced, margins denticulate distally, apex rounded, surfaces densely spreading-hairy.

palmate;

stipules lanceolate, 0.4–1.2 cm, margins lacerate, apex subulate;

petiole 0.5–4 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear, oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 0.5–2.5 × 0.1–0.5 cm, base cuneate, veins fine or moderately thickened, margins entire, spinulose, or dentate, apex rounded or truncate, mucronate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

terminal on branches, 10–50-flowered, globose or ovoid, disarticulating in fruit, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm;

involucres absent, involucrelike structures formed by enlarged stipules.

axillary or terminal, 3–15-flowered, obconic, 0.3–1.2 × 0.3–0.8 cm;

involucres flattened to bowl-shaped, 1–2 mm, when folded, not hiding flowers except proximally, incised 4/5–9/10 their length, lobes lanceolate-subulate.

Peduncles

absent.

2.5–7.5 cm.

Pedicels

absent;

bracteoles absent.

erect, 0.5–2 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

10–17 mm;

calyx campanulate, 7–11 mm, pilose, veins 20, tube 2–5 mm, lobes subequal, abaxial slightly longer, orifice hairy, open;

corolla purplish red, 10–14 mm, banner lanceolate, 10–14 × 1–2 mm, apex acute-acuminate.

11–16 mm;

calyx campanulate, slit between adaxial lobes, 4–5 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2.5–5.2 mm, lobes triangular-subulate, 3-fid or shouldered below apex, orifice open;

corolla lavender with white tips, keel petals purple, 6–8 mm, banner narrowly ovate-oblong, 6–8 × 2 mm, apex narrowly rounded, erose.

Legumes

ovoid, leathery distally, transversely dehiscent, 2–3 mm.

sessile, oblong, 2.1–3.2 mm.

Seeds

1, tan or brown, globose-ellipsoid, 1.5–2 mm, smooth, glossy.

1 or 2 (or 3), reddish brown, mottled, lenticular or reniform, 1.2–1.3 mm, smooth.

2n

= 10.

= 16.

Trifolium hirtum

Trifolium oliganthum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat Fields, roadsides. Stream banks, grassy, rocky slopes, meadows, fields.
Elevation 0–2100 m. (0–6900 ft.) 0–1100 m. (0–3600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CA; FL; LA; NC; OR; TN; VA; s Europe; w Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium hirtum was first cultivated in California in the 1940s as a forage plant and as a nitrogen source in roadside grass plantings (R. M. Love 1985); it is now widespread in that state. It was reported for Kentucky by D. Isely (1998); no non-cultivated specimens have been seen from that state (M. A. Vincent 2001).

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

Trifolium oliganthum is relatively common throughout much of its range in California; it is found in a few scattered sites northward into Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Even though it closely resembles T. variegatum, it is placed near T. bifidum in molecular studies (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006).

Trifolium hexanthum Greene ex A. Heller, which pertains here, is not a validly published name.

(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
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. eriocephalum, T. fragiferum, T. friscanum, T. fucatum, T. glomeratum, T. gracilentum, T. grayi, T. gymnocarpon, T. haydenii, 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. 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. 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
Synonyms T. pauciflorum, T. filipes, T. oliganthum var. sonomense, T. triflorum
Name authority Allioni: Auct. Fl. Pedem., 20. (1789) Steudel: Nomencl. Bot. ed. 2, 2: 707. (1841)
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