Trifolium lemmonii |
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Lemmon's clover |
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Habit | Herbs perennial, subcaulescent, 10–20 cm, appressed-pubescent. |
Stems | cespitose, branched. |
Leaves | 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, 15–30-flowered, globose to subglobose, 2–3 × 2–3 cm; involucres a narrow membranous, dentate rim, to 0.2 mm. |
Peduncles | sharply bent distally, just below flowers, 5–15 cm, surpassing leaves. |
Pedicels | reflexed in fruit, 2–3 mm; bracteoles minute, cuplike, membranous, minute. |
Flowers | 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 | oblong, 3.2–3.5 mm. |
Seeds | 1, dark brown, ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth. |
Trifolium lemmonii |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Dry, rocky soils, roadsides. |
Elevation | 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; NV
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Discussion | 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. |
Parent taxa | Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Trifolium |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Lupinaster lemmonii |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 127. (1876) — (as lemmoni) |
Web links |