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buffalo clover

cluster clover

Habit Herbs annual or biennial, 10–60 cm, villous or glabrate. Herbs annual, 10–30 cm, glabrous.
Stems

erect or ascending, unbranched or branched.

procumbent, decumbent, or ascending, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules broadly ovate, 1–2.5 cm, margins entire or denticulate, apex acute or acuminate;

petiole 1–10 cm (distalmost 0.3–3.5 cm);

petiolules 0.5–1.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades ovate, obovate, oblong, or rhombic, 1–4.5 × 0.7–2 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins dentate to denticulate, apex broadly acute, rounded, or emarginate, surfaces pubescent or glabrous.

palmate;

stipules ovate, 1–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex subulate-setaceous;

petiole 0–7 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate or obcordate, 0.6–1.5 × 0.4–1 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened distally, margins spinulose-serrate, apex retuse or rounded, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, 10–50-flowered, globose to subglobose, 1.5–4 × 2–4 cm;

bracteoles forming shallow, membranous cups, to 0.5 mm.

axillary, 30+-flowered, globose, 0.8–1 × 0.8–1 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

2–8 cm.

absent or to 0.1 cm.

Pedicels

reflexed in fruit, 5–12 mm;

bracteoles broad-obovate, membranous, 0.5–1 mm, truncate to 2-fid.

straight, to 0.2 mm;

bracteoles linear, to 0.5 mm.

Flowers

10–15 mm;

calyx campanulate, 6–9 mm, pilose or glabrous, veins 10, tube 1–1.5 mm, lobes equal, narrowly triangular to subulate, 3–7 mm, margins green, sinuses broad, orifice open;

corolla usually pink, magenta, or creamy white, sometimes bicolored, 9–14 mm, banner obovate-oblong, 9–14 × 5–8 mm, apex rounded or retuse, often erose-denticulate.

6–8.5 mm;

calyx tubular-obconic, 3–4 mm, glabrous, veins 10–12, tube 1.5–2 mm, lobes equal, triangular-ovate, spreading to recurved in fruit, orifice open;

corolla pink, 6–8 mm, banner obovate, 6–8 × 1–2 mm, apex acute.

Legumes

oblong, 4–5 mm.

obovoid, 2–3 mm.

Seeds

1–6, yellow to brown, purple-mottled, globose, 1.2–1.5 mm, slightly rugose.

2, brown, reniform, 1 mm, tuberculate.

2n

= 16.

= 14, 16.

Trifolium reflexum

Trifolium glomeratum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Clearings in forests, open woods, meadows, especially after fires. Roadsides, lawns, thin grass­lands.
Elevation 200–500 m. (700–1600 ft.) 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DC; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CA; OR; SC; TX; BC; Europe; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America, s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Nearly glabrous plants of Trifolium reflexum have been called var. glabrum Lojacono; var. reflexum is described as densely pubescent. The distinctions between these two varieties is inconsistent and may be based in part on age (M. A. Vincent 1991).

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

Trifolium glomeratum is cultivated occasionally as a forage crop (F. J. Hermann 1953) and sometimes spreads.

(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. pratense, T. productum, 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. 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 Amoria reflexa, T. adscendens, T. comosum, T. platycephalum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 766. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 770. (1753)
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