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Trifolium owyheense

Owyhee clover

trèfle flexueux, zigzag clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 10–20 cm, glaucous, glabrous. Herbs perennial, 20–70 cm, strigose.
Stems

cespitose, spreading, branched proximally, sparsely branched distally.

erect-ascending, flexuous, often zigzag, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules broadly obovate, 1–2 cm, fused at base, margins slightly lobed, apex acute;

petiole 2–6 cm;

petiolules 1–1.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades ovate, obovate, or orbiculate, slightly overlapping, 1–2 × 0.7–2.3 cm, base truncate to rounded, veins prominent, margins sparsely dentate, apex rounded, emarginate, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules lanceolate-linear, 1.8–2.8 cm, margins entire, ciliate, apex subulate;

petiole 1–9 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades elliptic-oblong, obovate, or ovate, 1.5–5 × 0.8–3.5 cm, base cuneate, veins arcuate, forked, margins entire, finely ciliate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces appressed-pubescent.

Inflorescences

terminal, 20–30-flowered, globose, usually formed of 2 sessile heads, 2.5–5 × 2.5–5 cm;

involucres absent.

terminal or axillary, rarely paired, 20–50-flowered, globose or ovoid, 1.5–4 × 1.3–3.8 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

3–7 cm, surpassing subtending leaves.

1–3 cm.

Pedicels

erect, reflexed in proximalmost flowers, 1 mm;

bracteoles cuplike, 0.5 mm.

straight, 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

15–21 mm;

calyx tubular-campanulate, 9–12 mm, pilose, veins 10, tube 4.5–6 mm, lobes subequal, abaxialmost longest, subulate, orifice open;

corolla deep pink or magenta, 20–23 mm, banner tubular for most their length, 18–22 × 5–7 mm, apex flared.

15–18 mm;

calyx cylindric, 6–10 mm, glabrous, veins 10–15, tube 2.5–3.5 mm, lobes unequal, subulate-setaceous, orifice glabrous or hairy distally, closed;

corolla usually reddish purple, rarely white, 12–20 mm, banner lanceolate-elliptic, 1.2–2 × 4–5 mm, apex acute.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 4–5 mm.

ovoid to globose, leathery distally, transversely dehiscent, 2–3 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, yellow-mottled, mitten-shaped, 2–3 mm, smooth.

1 or 2, yellow-brown, mitten-shaped, 1–1.5 mm, smooth, lustrous.

2n

= 48, 64, 68, 70, 72, 80, ca. 126.

Trifolium owyheense

Trifolium medium

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Dry shale hillsides on diato­maceous earth. Fields, roadsides.
Elevation 1000–2000 m. (3300–6600 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MA; MD; ME; MI; NJ; NY; RI; NB; ON; QC; Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in e Asia (e China), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium owyheense is known from about 40 populations in a small portion of east-central Malheur County in Oregon, and immediately adjacent Owyhee County in Idaho (M. Mancuso 2001).

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

Trifolium medium was reported for Kentucky by H. Garman (1902); no non-cultivated specimens have been seen for that state (M. A. Vincent 2001). Reports of T. medium in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are based on old reports and the species does not appear to be extant in those regions.

(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. oliganthum, T. ornithopodioides, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Gilkey: Madroño 13: 169, fig. 1. (1956) Linnaeus: Amoen. Acad. 4: 105. (1759)
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