Trifolium macrocephalum |
Trifolium lemmonii |
|
---|---|---|
big-head clover, large-head clover |
Lemmon's clover |
|
Habit | Herbs perennial, 5–25 cm, villous. | Herbs perennial, subcaulescent, 10–20 cm, appressed-pubescent. |
Stems | erect or ascending, branched. |
cespitose, 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 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, 20–32-flowered, globose or ovoid-ellipsoid, 2.5–8 × 3–7 cm; involucres absent. |
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 | 2–8 cm. |
sharply bent distally, just below flowers, 5–15 cm, surpassing leaves. |
Pedicels | erect, 1–1.5 mm; bracteoles broadly ovate, membranous, to 0.5 mm, truncate. |
reflexed in fruit, 2–3 mm; bracteoles minute, cuplike, membranous, minute. |
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. |
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 | ovoid, 4–5 mm. |
oblong, 3.2–3.5 mm. |
Seeds | 1 or 2, yellow or reddish, mitten-shaped to ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth. |
1, dark brown, ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 32, 48. |
|
Trifolium macrocephalum |
Trifolium lemmonii |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Rocky places, hard, compacted clay-gumbo, lava beds, sage-covered slopes, full sun. | Dry, rocky soils, roadsides. |
Elevation | 80–2500 m. [260–8200 ft.] | 1500–2500 m. [4900–8200 ft.] |
Distribution |
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
|
CA; NV
|
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.) |
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. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Lupinaster macrocephalum | Lupinaster lemmonii |
Name authority | (Pursh) Poiret in J. Lamarck et al.: Encycl., suppl. 5: 336. (1817) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 127. (1876) — (as lemmoni) |
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