Trifolium hybridum |
Trifolium lemmonii |
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Alsike clover |
Lemmon's clover |
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Habit | Herbs perennial, 10–70 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. | Herbs perennial, subcaulescent, 10–20 cm, appressed-pubescent. |
Stems | erect or ascending, branched. |
cespitose, branched. |
Leaves | palmate; stipules obovate or lanceolate, 1–2.5 cm, margins entire or toothed, apex long-acuminate; petiole 1–21 cm; petiolules 1 mm; leaflets 3, blades usually obovate or ovate, rarely rhombic, 1–4 × 1–2.5 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, margins sharply serrate, apex broadly acute, obtuse, or emarginate, surfaces glabrous. |
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 | terminal or axillary, 10–70+-flowered, globose to subglobose, 1–2.5 × 1–2.5 cm, rachis not prolonged beyond flowers; 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 | 2–10 cm. |
sharply bent distally, just below flowers, 5–15 cm, surpassing leaves. |
Pedicels | strongly reflexed, 2–3.5 mm; bracteoles lanceolate, 1 mm. |
reflexed in fruit, 2–3 mm; bracteoles minute, cuplike, membranous, minute. |
Flowers | 8–12 mm; calyx campanulate, 3.5–4 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy, veins 10, tube 1.5–2 mm, lobes unequal, lanceolate-subulate, orifice open; corolla pale to dark pink, 7–10 mm, banner ovate-oblong, 6.5–10.5 × 4–6 mm, apex rounded-denticulate. |
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, 3–7 mm. |
oblong, 3.2–3.5 mm. |
Seeds | 2–4, tan, brown, or red-brown, mitten-shaped, 1–1.4 mm, smooth, dull. |
1, dark brown, ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
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Trifolium hybridum |
Trifolium lemmonii |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Oct. | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Roadsides, open woods, edges, fields, meadows, waste places. | Dry, rocky soils, roadsides. |
Elevation | 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) | 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.) |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; 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; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, Europe, elsewhere in Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
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CA; NV
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Discussion | Trifolium hybridum is widely cultivated as a forage crop. It may cause dermatitis in humans (J. W. Hardin and J. M. Arena 1974) and is implicated as a cause of dermatitis and biliary fibrosis in horses (C. Fisher 1995); the connection between the clover and the diseases is inconclusive (P. N. Nation 1989). (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 | Amoria hybrida, T. elegans | Lupinaster lemmonii |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 766. (1753) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 127. (1876) — (as lemmoni) |
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