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red clover

lupine clover

Habit Herbs perennial, 20–70 cm, pilose or glabrous. Herbs perennial, 15–50 cm, glabrous or curly-pilose.
Stems

erect, ascending, or decumbent, branched.

erect, unbranched or branched distally.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules broadly triangular, 1–2 cm, margins entire, sometimes ciliate, apex mucronate or setaceous;

petiole 1–9 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades elliptic to obovate, 1.5–5 × 0.7–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, margins subentire, apex obtuse, acute, or retuse, surfaces appressed-pubescent.

palmate;

stipules adnate entire length of petiole, sheathing, lanceolate-oblong, 0.8–1.3 cm, margins sharply and finely serrate, pilose, apex acute;

petiole 0.5–0.7 cm;

petiolules 0.5 mm;

leaflets (3–)5(–9), blades elliptic to linear-elliptic, 1–4 × 0.3–1.4 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, cartilagenous, ending in sharp, curved teeth, margins setaceous, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous except midrib abaxially.

Inflorescences

terminal, solitary or paired, 75–100+-flowered, globose or ovoid, 1.2–7.7 × 0.7–2.2 cm;

involucres absent, involucrelike structures formed of stipules of distalmost leaves.

terminal or axillary, 10–30-flowered, hemispheric or globose, 1.7–2.3 × 2.7–3.3 cm;

involucres oblique, to 0.5 mm, wavy to toothed.

Peduncles

± 0 cm, subtended by stipules of distal leaves.

1–5 cm.

Pedicels

straight, 0–1 mm;

bracteoles absent.

erect or horizontal, 1–3 mm;

bracteoles broadly shell-shaped, sometimes connate into lobed ridge, to 0.5 mm.

Flowers

15–18 mm;

calyx tubular-campanulate, 8–11 mm, hairy, veins 10, tube 3–4 mm, lobes unequal, adaxial equaling tube, lateral and abaxial 2 times tube, orifice hairy, slightly closed;

corolla usually rose-purple, rarely pink or white, 13–18 mm, banner elliptic-ovate, 10–13 × 3–5 mm, apex narrowly rounded.

11–17 mm;

calyx campanulate, oblique, 6–9 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy distally and along veins, veins 10, tube 3 mm, lobes subequal, pilose, abaxial slightly longer, subulate, orifice open;

corolla white to rose-purple, 10–15 mm, banner rolled into open tube, arched upwards distally, 10–15 × 4–5 mm, apex broadly rounded or acute, apiculate.

Legumes

oblong, leathery distally, transversely dehiscent, 3 mm.

oblong, 6–8 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, yellow, yellow-brown, or purple, ovoid, 1.6–2 mm, smooth, dull.

3–6, dark brown or gray-brown, globose-reniform, 1.5–2 mm, slightly roughened, dull.

2n

= 14.

= 16, 32, 40, 48.

Trifolium pratense

Trifolium lupinaster

Phenology Flowering May–Sep. Flowering Jun.
Habitat Fields, prairies, roadsides, disturbed areas. Forest glades, meadows.
Elevation 0–3100 m. (0–10200 ft.) 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; 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; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America, s Africa, Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; Asia (n China, Russia) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium pratense is morphologically variable and numerous varieties have been recognized (M. Zohary and D. Heller 1984). Distinctions among these are slight and intergradation is common, perhaps due to the long-time cultivation of the species. In North America, the following varieties are sometimes recognized: var. pratense with stems decumbent to ascending, 20–40 cm, with dense, appressed, white hairs; var. sativum Schreber with stems mostly erect, 40–100 cm, sparsely hairy or glabrous; and var. americanum Harz with stems 30–100 cm, with dense, spreading hairs.

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

Populations of Trifolium lupinaster in Alaska appear to have been introduced as a potential forage crop and spread from cultivation (D. F. Murray and H. F. Drury 1974).

(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. owyheense, T. palmeri, T. parryi, T. pinetorum, T. piorkowskii, T. plumosum, T. polyodon, 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. 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. pensylvanicum Lupinaster pentaphyllus, Pentaphyllon lupinaster
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 768. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 766. (1753)
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