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few-flower clover, few-flowerered clover

field clover, hop clover, hop trefoil, low hop-clover, pinnate hop clover

Habit Herbs annual, 10–50 cm, glabrous. Herbs annual, 5–40 cm, slightly villous or glabrous.
Stems

erect, dichotomously branched.

erect to ascending, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules lanceolate, 0.4–1.2 cm, margins lacerate, apex subulate;

petiole 0.5–4 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear, oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 0.5–2.5 × 0.1–0.5 cm, base cuneate, veins fine or moderately thickened, margins entire, spinulose, or dentate, apex rounded or truncate, mucronate, surfaces glabrous.

pinnate;

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 cm, margins entire, glandular, apex acuminate;

petiole 0.3–2 cm;

lateral leaflet petiolules 0.5–0.6 mm, terminal leaflet stalk 3–5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades rhombic to obovate, 0.4–1.5 × 0.4–0.8 cm, base cuneate, lateral veins prominent, ± parallel, ascending, margins denticulate distally, apex truncate or retuse, surfaces strigose adaxially.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, 3–15-flowered, obconic, 0.3–1.2 × 0.3–0.8 cm;

involucres flattened to bowl-shaped, 1–2 mm, when folded, not hiding flowers except proximally, incised 4/5–9/10 their length, lobes lanceolate-subulate.

axillary, 30–60-flowered, globose or broadly ovoid, 0.8–1.5 × 0.7–1 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

2.5–7.5 cm.

1.5–3.5 cm.

Pedicels

erect, 0.5–2 mm;

bracteoles absent.

reflexed, 0.7–1.2 mm;

bracteoles a fringe of red setae.

Flowers

11–16 mm;

calyx campanulate, slit between adaxial lobes, 4–5 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2.5–5.2 mm, lobes triangular-subulate, 3-fid or shouldered below apex, orifice open;

corolla lavender with white tips, keel petals purple, 6–8 mm, banner narrowly ovate-oblong, 6–8 × 2 mm, apex narrowly rounded, erose.

4.3–5 mm;

calyx campanulate, strongly bilabiate, 1.3–1.5 mm, glabrous, veins 5, tube 0.3–0.6 mm, lobes unequal, adaxial deltate, very short, lateral and abaxial linear-subulate, each tipped with 1 or 2 stiff hairs, orifice open;

corolla yellow becoming brown, 3.5–6 mm, ribbed, banner persistent, obovate, enveloping other petals, boat-shaped, 4.3–5 × 2.8–3.2 mm, apex broad, acute.

Legumes

sessile, oblong, 2.1–3.2 mm.

stipitate, oblong, 2–2.5 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2 (or 3), reddish brown, mottled, lenticular or reniform, 1.2–1.3 mm, smooth.

1 or 2, yellow, ellipsoid, 1–1.5 mm, smooth, lustrous.

2n

= 16.

= 14.

Trifolium oliganthum

Trifolium campestre

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Stream banks, grassy, rocky slopes, meadows, fields. Roadsides, fields.
Elevation 0–1100 m. (0–3600 ft.) 0–1700 m. (0–5600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM; Europe; w Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, e Asia (China), s Africa, Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium oliganthum is relatively common throughout much of its range in California; it is found in a few scattered sites northward into Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Even though it closely resembles T. variegatum, it is placed near T. bifidum in molecular studies (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006).

Trifolium hexanthum Greene ex A. Heller, which pertains here, is not a validly published name.

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

Trifolium filiforme Linnaeus and T. procumbens Linnaeus are rejected names that were used historically for T. campestre (J. E. Dandy 1958; N. J. Turland et al. 1996).

(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. macrocephalum, T. medium, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. monanthum, T. mucronatum, T. nanum, T. nigrescens, T. obtusiflorum, 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. 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 T. pauciflorum, T. filipes, T. oliganthum var. sonomense, T. triflorum Chrysaspis campestris
Name authority Steudel: Nomencl. Bot. ed. 2, 2: 707. (1841) Schreber in G. F. Hoffmann: Deutschl. Fl. 4: 16, plate 253. (1804)
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