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Alsike clover

knotted clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 10–70 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Herbs usually annual, rarely biennial, 10–50 cm, villous.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched.

erect, ascending, or decumbent, branched from base.

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 lanceolate-ovate, 0.9–1.1 cm, margins entire, apex acute-acuminate, setaceous, ciliate;

petiole 0.5–5 cm;

petiolules 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate to oblong, 0.9–1.6 × 0.4–1 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins denticulate, apex obtuse, obcordate, or emarginate, surfaces hairy.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, 10–70+-flowered, globose to subglobose, 1–2.5 × 1–2.5 cm, rachis not prolonged beyond flowers;

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, solitary or paired, 20–60-flowered, ovoid or oblong, 0.8–1.6 × 0.6–1 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

2–10 cm.

0–1 cm.

Pedicels

strongly reflexed, 2–3.5 mm;

bracteoles lanceolate, 1 mm.

absent;

bracteoles absent.

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.

5–7 mm;

calyx ellipsoid to urceolate, 3–4 mm, hairy, veins 10, tube 2–3 mm, lobes erect or spreading, unequal, abaxial longest and equal to tube, subulate, orifice open;

corolla pink, 25–35 mm, banner oblong, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm, apex retuse.

Legumes

stipitate, ellipsoid, 3–7 mm.

ovoid, leathery distally, transversely dehiscent, 2–2.5 mm.

Seeds

2–4, tan, brown, or red-brown, mitten-shaped, 1–1.4 mm, smooth, dull.

1, tan or reddish brown, globose to ovoid, 1–1.5 mm, smooth, glossy.

2n

= 16.

= 14.

Trifolium hybridum

Trifolium striatum

Phenology Flowering May–Oct. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Roadsides, open woods, edges, fields, meadows, waste places. Waste places
Elevation 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) 0–500 m. (0–1600 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
AL; AR; CA; GA; MA; MO; NC; NJ; NY; OK; OR; PA; SC; VA; VT; WA; BC; Europe; w Asia; nw Africa [Introduced also in s South America (Chile), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[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.)

Trifolium striatum has been recorded as an occasional weed in the flora area, having been first collected on ballast in New Jersey in 1880. It is found sporadically as a weed of disturbed habitats and appears to be spreading rapidly. It has been called Pitts’s clover in the southern United States because it was discovered by J. D. Pitts in a field of crimson clover as a weed and he experimented with it as a forage plant (G. L. Fuller and B. H. Hendrickson 1928).

(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. 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. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, T. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
Synonyms Amoria hybrida, T. elegans
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 766. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 770. (1753)
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