Trifolium macrocephalum |
Trifolium dichotomum |
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big-head clover, large-head clover |
branch clover, branch Indian clover, Macrae's clover |
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Habit | Herbs perennial, 5–25 cm, villous. | Herbs annual, 15–30 cm, canescent. |
Stems | erect or ascending, branched. |
erect, branched from base and distally, or unbranched. |
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 or elliptic, 0.3–1 cm, margins entire, ciliate, apex acuminate; petiole 0.5–6.5 cm; petiolules 0.5–0.7 mm; leaflets 3, blades obovate or oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.2–1.1 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure or slightly thickened, margins dentate, apex rounded or emarginate, surfaces pilose or glabrescent. |
Inflorescences | terminal, 20–32-flowered, globose or ovoid-ellipsoid, 2.5–8 × 3–7 cm; involucres absent. |
terminal or axillary, 15–35-flowered, ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.1–2.2 × 1–1.5 cm; involucres absent. |
Peduncles | 2–8 cm. |
2.5–10 cm. |
Pedicels | erect, 1–1.5 mm; bracteoles broadly ovate, membranous, to 0.5 mm, truncate. |
absent; bracteoles cuplike, to 0.5 mm. |
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. |
10–12 mm; calyx tubular, 4–8 mm, densely pubescent, veins 20–30, tube 2–4 mm, lobes nearly equal, appearing rigidly erect, linear-setaceous, plumose, sinuses acute, orifice open; corolla red-violet to pink, with pink or white tips, 7–12 mm, banner ovate-oblong, 9–11 × 3–4 mm, apex broadly rounded, emarginate. |
Legumes | ovoid, 4–5 mm. |
obovoid, 3–3.5 mm. |
Seeds | 1 or 2, yellow or reddish, mitten-shaped to ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth. |
1, yellow-brown, ellipsoid, 2–2.5 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 32, 48. |
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Trifolium macrocephalum |
Trifolium dichotomum |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | Flowering Apr–May. |
Habitat | Rocky places, hard, compacted clay-gumbo, lava beds, sage-covered slopes, full sun. | Grassy slopes, meadows, adjacent to chaparral, serpentine soils, coastal dunes, open slopes, meadows, oak woodlands, disturbed areas. |
Elevation | 80–2500 m. [260–8200 ft.] | 0–1700 m. [0–5600 ft.] |
Distribution |
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
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CA; OR; WA; BC
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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 dichotomum is reportedly tetraploid (H. Wexelsen 1928) and closely related to the diploid T. albopurpureum. A so-called small form of T. dichotomum was named T. dichotomum var. turbinatum [T. californicum forma turbinatum (Jepson) McDermott]. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Lupinaster macrocephalum | T. albopurpureum var. dichotomum, T. californicum, T. dichotomum var. turbinatum, T. insularum, T. macraei var. dichotomum, T. petrophilum |
Name authority | (Pursh) Poiret in J. Lamarck et al.: Encycl., suppl. 5: 336. (1817) | Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 330. (1838) |
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