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canyon clover, Howell's clover

pine clover, pinewoods clover, woods clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 30–100 cm, glabrous. Herbs perennial, 5–30 cm, glabrous or sparsely pilose; rhizomes absent, roots stout, branched.
Stems

erect, fistulose, unbranched or branched distally.

prostrate to ascending, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate, 1.5–4.5 cm, margins usually entire, sometimes lobed, apex acuminate;

petiole 0.5–20 cm;

petiolules 1–1.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades ovate, elliptic, or rhombic, 3.5–9.5 × 2.3–5 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure, margins ± serrate, apex acute, rounded, or obtuse, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules lanceolate-ovate, 0.7–1.3 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate;

petiole 1–8.5 cm;

petiolules 1–1.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades oblanceolate or obovate, 0.5–2.9 × 0.4–1.3 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, margins denticulate to spinulose, apex usually rounded or truncate, sometimes retuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, 20–70-flowered, globose or ellipsoid, 2.5–4 × 2–2.5 cm, rachis prolonged beyond flowers, undivided or forked, often bearing sterile flower buds distally;

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, 10–20-flowered, obconic, globose, or subglobose, 1.7–2.5 × 1.–1.5 cm;

involucres broadly campanulate, 6–8 mm, incised ± 3/4 their length, lobes 15–20, linear-lanceolate, entire, acuminate.

Peduncles

3–11 cm.

4–6 cm.

Pedicels

strongly reflexed in fruit, 1 mm;

bracteoles minute, blunt or acute, membranous.

erect to slightly reflexed, 1–2 mm;

bracteoles ovate, 0.5 mm.

Flowers

10–14 mm;

calyx campanulate, gibbous, 4–5.5 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2–2.5 mm, lobes subequal, linear-lanceolate, orifice open;

corolla white, lemon yellow, or greenish yellow, 11–12 mm, banner elliptic-oblong, 11–12 × 4–5 mm, apex obtuse.

10–16 mm;

calyx campanulate, 6–10 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2–2.3 mm, lobes ± equal, subulate, 3–5 mm, orifice open;

corolla white to pale purple, keel petals with dark purple-red tips, 11–13 mm, banner oblong, 11–13 × 4–5 mm, apex retuse.

Legumes

oblong or clavate, 4–5 mm.

short-stipitate, oblong, 3.5–5 mm.

Seeds

1–3, reddish black or brown, angular, mitten-shaped, 2.5 mm, smooth or slightly roughened, dull.

1 or 2, olive-brown, mottled purple, oblong, 1.5 mm, smooth, semiglossy.

2n

= 16.

Trifolium howellii

Trifolium pinetorum

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Wet stream banks, wet meadows, flood plains, shady woodlands, springs, thickets. Disturbed areas in pine, fir, or spruce forests.
Elevation 800–2000 m. (2600–6600 ft.) 2300–2800 m. (7500–9200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium howellii is known from Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties in California, and Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, and Linn counties in Oregon (J. M. Gillett 1972). It has some of the largest leaves of any species of Trifolium in North America.

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

Trifolium pinetorum is found in Cochise, Coconino, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties in Arizona, and Catron, Grant, Lincoln, and Otero counties in New Mexico, as well as the Sierra Madre in Chihuahua, Mexico. It occupies disturbed areas in pine-fir-spruce forests, and has adapted well to anthropogenic disturbances, such as roadsides and other graded areas (J. M. Gillett 1980).

(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. hirtum, 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. oliganthum, T. ornithopodioides, T. owyheense, T. palmeri, T. parryi, 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. longicaule, T. willdenovii var. longicaule, T. wormskioldii var. longicaule
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 262. (1888) Greene: Erythea 2: 182. (1894)
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