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Chilean clover, Macrae's clover

bowl clover, cup clover

Habit Herbs annual, 3–30 cm, pubescent. Herbs annual, 5–50 cm, glabrous.
Stems

erect, ascending, or prostrate, branched.

erect, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate to oblong, 0.6–1 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate to cuspidate;

petiole 0.5–6 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 0.6–1.6 × 0.3–1.2 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure or slightly thickened, margins subentire to serrate, apex rounded, retuse, surfaces pubescent.

palmate;

stipules ovate to lanceolate, 0.6–1.2 cm, margins entire, toothed, or lacerate, apex acute or aristate;

petiole 1–10 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate, elliptic, or oblanceolate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, green, margins finely toothed, apex rounded, blunt, or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

terminal or subterminal, usually paired, sometimes one head slightly stalked, partially hidden by terminal leaves and stipules, 10–40-flowered, ovoid or subglobose, 0.8–2.5 × 0.5–2 cm;

involucres absent, involucrelike structure formed from terminal leaves and stipules.

axillary or terminal, 1–35-flowered, subglobose or ovoid, 0.5–1.8 × 0.5–2 cm;

involucres broadly bowl-shaped, 4–22 mm, shallowly incised, lobes 3–15, toothed, broad, acute.

Peduncles

0–0.2 cm.

1–8 cm.

Pedicels

absent;

bracteoles broadly ovate to linear, 1–2 mm.

straight, 0.1–0.2 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

5.5–7.5 mm;

calyx tubular, 4–5 mm, pubescent, veins 5–10, tube 1.5–2 mm, lobes subequal, subulate, orifice open;

corolla usually purple or pink, rarely white, 5–7 mm, banner obovate-oblong, 6–7 × 2–3 mm, apex rounded, slightly denticulate.

7–15 mm;

calyx campanulate, inflated in fruit, 6–13 mm, glabrous, veins 13–20, tube 3–7 mm, lobes unequal, strongly oblique, broadly triangular, apex setaceous, adaxial unbranched, abaxial and lateral conspicuously 2- or 3-fid, segments glabrous, sometimes flattened, orifice open;

corolla usually creamy white or rose to pink, sometimes whitish with pinkish tips, 6–13 mm, banner obovate or elliptic, proximally inflated in fruit, distally narrowed into twisted tip, 6–13 × 3–6 mm, apex rounded to broadly acute.

Legumes

oblong, 2.5–3 mm.

ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm.

Seeds

1, yellow, mottled, ellipsoid, 1.6–2 mm, smooth.

1 or 2, yellow-brown, ovoid, 0.4–0.6 mm, smooth.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Trifolium macraei

Trifolium cyathiferum

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Apr–Oct.
Habitat Grassy fields, sandy ocean bluffs. Wet meadows, roadsides, fields.
Elevation 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) 0–2700 m. (0–8900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; South America (Chile)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; BC; YT [Introduced in Asia (China, Japan)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium macraei was described from specimens collected in Chile; the South American plants have broader banners, smaller auricles on the wing petals, and styles that are barely curved upwards distally (D. Isely 1998). Further examination of the disjunct populations may reveal other differences and prompt reconsideration of the identity of North American specimens. The record from Massachusetts is a waif.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Trifolium cyathiferum may be of hybrid origin; phylogenetic studies indicate it has the same trnL intron sequence as T. buckwestiorum, T. polyodon, and T. variegatum and nrDNA and combined analyses place it in a clade with other species (T. barbigerum, T. fucatum, T. jokerstii, and T. physanthum Hooker & Arnott) that have inflated fruiting corollas (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006).

The single record of Trifolium cyathiferum labeled as from Utah is likely mislabeled (S. L. Welsh et al. 2008). Populations in Yukon may be introductions.

(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. 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. 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. 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. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, T. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
Synonyms T. bicephalum, T. catalinae, T. mercedense, T. traskiae
Name authority Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Misc. 3: 179. (1833) Lindley: Bot. Reg. 13: sub plate 1070. (1827)
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