Trifolium lemmonii |
Trifolium microcephalum |
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Lemmon's clover |
small-head clover |
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Habit | Herbs perennial, subcaulescent, 10–20 cm, appressed-pubescent. | Herbs annual, 3–55 cm, densely to sparsely pubescent. |
Stems | cespitose, branched. |
erect to ascending, 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. |
palmate; stipules obliquely ovate, 0.4–1.2 cm, margins entire or slightly serrate, apex acuminate; petiole 1–5 cm; petiolules 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades oblanceolate, obovate, or obcordate, 0.4–1.7 × 0.3–1.1 cm, base cuneate, veins fine or slightly thickened, margins setose, often dentate distally, apex usually retuse, rarely rounded, surfaces villous. |
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. |
axillary or terminal, 10–40-flowered, globose, 0.5–1.3 × 0.4–1.2 cm; involucres flattened or bowl-shaped, 0.4–1 cm, when folded, nearly completely hiding calyces, villous, incised 1/2 their length, lobes 5–12, lanceolate-ovate, entire or slightly toothed proximally, acuminate. |
Peduncles | sharply bent distally, just below flowers, 5–15 cm, surpassing leaves. |
1–8 cm. |
Pedicels | reflexed in fruit, 2–3 mm; bracteoles minute, cuplike, membranous, minute. |
absent; bracteoles absent. |
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. |
4–6 mm; calyx campanulate-tubular, 3–5.5 mm, pubescent, veins 10, tube 1.8–2.5 mm, lobes ± equal, triangular-aristate, margins hyaline, wavy, orifice open; corolla white or pink to lavender, 4–6 mm, banner oblong, 3–6 × 1–2 mm, apex emarginate. |
Legumes | oblong, 3.2–3.5 mm. |
broadly ellipsoid, 1.5–2 mm. |
Seeds | 1, dark brown, ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth. |
1, yellow, reddish mottled, oblong, 1.5 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
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Trifolium lemmonii |
Trifolium microcephalum |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Aug. | Flowering Mar–Jul. |
Habitat | Dry, rocky soils, roadsides. | Meadows, roadsides, stream banks, forest clearings, grassy slopes. |
Elevation | 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.) | 0–2500 m. (0–8200 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; NV
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AK; AZ; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
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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.) |
Trifolium microcephalum is common in much of its range in California and northward into Oregon, and is rare in much of the rest of its range. It is closely allied with the Chilean T. vernum Philippi (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006), which it resembles greatly, and from which it is distinguished by its shorter calyx lobes (M. Zohary and D. Heller 1984). (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 | Lupinaster lemmonii | Lojaconoa microcephala, T. microcephalum var. bipedale, T. microcephalum var. lemmonii |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 127. (1876) — (as lemmoni) | Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 478. (1813) |
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