Trifolium monanthum subsp. monanthum
Trifolium monanthum
carpet clover
carpet clover, mountain carpet clover
decumbent to ascending, much-branched.
palmate;
stipules ovate to lanceolate, 0.3–1.2 cm, margins entire, serrate, or slightly lacerate, apex acute to acuminate;
petiole 1–4.5 cm;
petiolules 0.1–0.5 mm;
leaflets 3, blades obovate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 0.3–2 × 0.2–0.5 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, margins ± dentate, serrate, or setose, apex acute, rounded, or retuse, surfaces glabrous or slightly villous.
blades obovate or oblanceolate, margins ± dentate, apex rounded or retuse.
(1 or)2–4-flowered.
axillary or terminal, 1–9-flowered, solitary or subglobose, 1–1.6 × 0.3–1.2 cm;
involucres campanulate, 2–5 mm, incised nearly to base, lobes 2–8, lanceolate.
straight.
0.5–2 cm.
erect, 1 mm;
bracteoles absent.
10–16 mm;
calyx tubular, 2–10 mm, glabrous or pubescent, veins 10, tube 4–7 mm, lobes equal, triangular-subulate, orifice open;
corolla white, pink, or lavender, keel petals usually purple-spotted, 8–16 mm, banner oblong, 8–13 × 2–5 mm, apex emarginate.
oblong, 2–4 mm.
1 or 2, brown, mottled, mitten-shaped, 1–2 mm, dull.
= 16.
Trifolium monanthum subsp. monanthum
Trifolium monanthum
Subspecies monanthum ranges in eastern California from Lassen and Shasta counties in the north, southward to Inyo and Tulare counties, with scattered sites in Contra Costa, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties; it is widespread in Nevada.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).
Morphological intergradation among subspecies of Trifolium monanthum may be indicative of low genetic barriers to crossing. It might be just as plausible to divide T. mononathum into two species instead of four subspecies (J. M. Gillett 1980), with T. monanthum encompassing populations with white rhizomes, and T. multicaule encompassing populations with taproots.
Trifolium monanthum often forms dense mats.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Herbs glabrous or sparsely hairy, mat-forming; stems from thin to thick woody roots, rhizomes slender, white; peduncles straight or bent upwards at steep angle distally; flowers 1–5. | → 2 |
2. Inflorescences (1 or)2–4-flowered; peduncles straight; leaflet blades obovate to oblanceolate, margins ± dentate, apex rounded or retuse. | subsp. monanthum |
2. Inflorescences 1–5-flowered; peduncles bent upwards at steep angle distally; leaflet blades oblanceolate or elliptic, margins setose, apex acute. | subsp. grantianum |
1. Herbs densely hairy, decumbent to ascending; stems from thickened woody taproots, rhizomes absent; peduncles bent upwards at steep angle distally; flowers 1–9. | → 3 |
3. Leaflet blade apex rounded, margins dentate. | subsp. parvum |
3. Leaflet blade apex acute, margins serrate or setose. | subsp. tenerum |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
