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Trifolium owyheense

Owyhee clover

bird clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 10–20 cm, glaucous, glabrous. Herbs annual, 5–50 cm, glabrous or glabrescent.
Stems

cespitose, spreading, branched proximally, sparsely branched distally.

procumbent, ascending, or erect, 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 obovate-lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 cm, margins entire, apex subulate or cuspidate;

petiole 4–10 cm;

petiolules 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obcordate or obovate, 0.6–1 × 0.4–0.6 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins finely serrate, apex truncate or emarginate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

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

involucres absent.

axillary, 1–5-flowered, loose, oblong, 0.5–1.2 × 0.1–0.5 cm;

involucres absent or bracteoles shallow, cuplike, ± equaling pedicels.

Peduncles

3–7 cm, surpassing subtending leaves.

0.5–2 cm.

Pedicels

erect, reflexed in proximalmost flowers, 1 mm;

bracteoles cuplike, 0.5 mm.

straight or slightly reflexed, 1–3 mm;

bracteoles lanceolate, 1 mm.

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.

5–10 mm;

calyx campanulate, 4–4.5 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2.5–3 mm, lobes unequal, triangular, orifice open;

corolla pink or white, 5–9 mm, banner oblong, 5–9 × 2–3 mm, apex rounded.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 4–5 mm.

stipitate, ellipsoid-oblong, 6–10 mm.

Seeds

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

4–9, black or dark brown, ellipsoid-globose, 1–1.5 mm, smooth, glossy.

2n

= 16.

Trifolium owyheense

Trifolium ornithopodioides

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Dry shale hillsides on diato­maceous earth. Coastal slopes, roadsides.
Elevation 1000–2000 m. (3300–6600 ft.) 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NB; Europe; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in 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 ornithopodioides comprises small plants and has been considered a member of Trigonella by some authors; molecular studies by N. W. Ellison et al. (2006) showed that it is nested within Trifolium.

(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. medium, T. microcephalum, T. microdon, T. monanthum, T. mucronatum, T. nanum, T. nigrescens, T. obtusiflorum, T. oliganthum, 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 Melilotus ornithopodioides, Trigonella ornithopodioides
Name authority Gilkey: Madroño 13: 169, fig. 1. (1956) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 766. (1753) — (as M. ornithopodioides)
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