The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

big-head clover, large-head clover

bearded clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 5–25 cm, villous. Herbs annual, 7–20 cm, puberulent or glabrous.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched.

decumbent or erect, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate, obovate, or oblong, 1–3 cm, margins entire, irregularly lobed, or serrate, apex acute or acuminate;

petiole 1–14 cm;

petiolules 0.9–1.2 mm;

leaflets (5–)7–9, blades broadly to narrowly obovate, often folded, 1–2.7 × 0.4–1.1 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, especially distally, margins serrulate, apex rounded or truncate, apiculate, surfaces villous abaxially, sparsely villous to glabrate adaxially.

palmate;

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–1.1 cm, margins toothed or lacerate, apex acute-acuminate;

petiole 1–10 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades oblanceolate or obovate, 1.5–2.5 × 0.4–0.7 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, thickened distally, margins ± serrate or entire, apex rounded or retuse, surfaces pubescent or glabrous.

Inflorescences

terminal, 20–32-flowered, globose or ovoid-ellipsoid, 2.5–8 × 3–7 cm;

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, 5–20-flowered, subglobose or globose, 0.6–1.5 × 1–1.5 cm;

involucres bowl-shaped, 5–15 mm, lobes 6–10, sharply setaceous-toothed, sinuses shallow.

Peduncles

2–8 cm.

5–10 cm.

Pedicels

erect, 1–1.5 mm;

bracteoles broadly ovate, membranous, to 0.5 mm, truncate.

straight, 0.2 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

20–30 mm;

calyx campanulate, 10–22 mm, villous, veins 10–15, tube 2.5–4 mm, lobes subequal, subulate, plumose, orifice open;

corolla white, creamy white, or pinkish, keel petals deep pink, 20–28 mm, banner ovate or oblong, 20–28 × 10–13 mm, apex rounded or slightly emarginate.

4–6 mm;

calyx campanulate, 5–9 mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, veins 5, tube 2–3 mm, lobes ± equal, setaceous, often exceeding banner, orifice open;

corolla usually lavender to purple, usually with white tips, rarely wholly white, 5–8 mm, banner broadly oblong, proximally inflated in fruit, distally narrowed into twisted tip, 6–8 × 6–8 mm, apex broadly acute.

Legumes

ovoid, 4–5 mm.

ovoid-ellipsoid, 2–3 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, yellow or reddish, mitten-shaped to ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth.

1 or 2, brown, ellipsoid to subglobose, 1–1.5 mm, slightly roughened.

2n

= 32, 48.

= 16.

Trifolium macrocephalum

Trifolium barbigerum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Rocky places, hard, compacted clay-gumbo, lava beds, sage-covered slopes, full sun. Vernal pools, stream banks, meadows, lawns.
Elevation 80–2500 m. (300–8200 ft.) 0–1300 m. (0–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium macrocephalum has the largest inflorescences of any clover. Trifolium megacephalum Nuttall (1818) is an illegitimate replacement name for Lupinaster macrocephalum Pursh.

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

Trifolium barbigerum is relatively common and widespread in California, and extends northward into Coos, Curry, and Jackson counties in Oregon. It is morphologically similar to T. physanthum of Chile, to which it is a sister species in phylogenetic studies (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006).

(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. macraei, 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. 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. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, T. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
Synonyms Lupinaster macrocephalum T. minutissimum
Name authority (Pursh) Poiret in J. Lamarck et al.: Encycl., suppl. 5: 336. (1817) Torrey in War Department [U.S.]: Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 79. (1857)
Web links