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Alsike clover

Lemmon's clover

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.

Trifolium hybridum

Trifolium lemmonii

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
from FNA
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]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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
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. 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. 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
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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