The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

woolly clover

large white-tip clover

Habit Herbs annual, 10–20 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Herbs annual, 7–80+ cm, glabrous.
Stems

prostrate, ascending, or erect, branched.

ascending or erect, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules ovate or triangular-lanceolate, 0.4–1.2 cm, margins entire, apex acute or acuminate;

petiole 0.5–7 cm;

petiolules to 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate, obcordate, or elliptic, 0.4–1.5 × 0.3–1 cm, base cuneate, veins moderately prominent, margins denticulate, apex rounded or emarginate, surfaces sparsely hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

palmate;

stipules lanceolate or ovate, 0.3–1.3 cm, margins lacerate, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole 2–7.3 cm;

petiolules to 0.9 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate-obcordate, elliptic, or obovate, 0.3–2.6 × 0.2–1.1 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins denticulate, apex acute or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

axillary, 10–20-flowered, subglobose, soon becoming globose, flowers resupinate, calyces densely white-woolly, compacted, inflated, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm;

involucres a narrow rim, 0.2 mm.

axillary, 4–25-flowered, subglobose or globose, 0.7–2 × 0.8–3 cm;

involucres flat, 3.2–6.5 mm, incised 1/2 their length, lobes 4–7, lacerate.

Peduncles

0.5–1.5 cm.

1.7–7.5 cm.

Pedicels

slightly reflexed, to 0.5 mm;

bracteoles cup-shaped, membranous, 0.2 mm.

straight, to 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

3–7 mm;

calyx tubular, inflated in fruit, markedly asymmetric-bilabiate, 2–6 mm, woolly adaxially, veins 5–10, connected by lateral veins, tube 1.5–2.5 mm, 4–5 mm in fruit, lobes unequal, subulate, shorter than tube, adaxial spreading or curved, orifice open, abruptly constricted in fruit;

corolla pink, 3–6 mm, banner ovate, 3–6 × 3–6 mm, apex emarginate to crenulate.

7–25 mm;

calyx campanulate, not slit between adaxial lobes, 3.5–7.4 mm, glabrous, veins 10–20, tube 1.5–3.3 mm, lobes subequal, narrowly triangular, margins usually entire, orifice open;

corolla deep purple, usually white-tipped, 6.5–17 mm, banner obovate, 6.3–16 × 1.5–4 mm, apex emarginate.

Legumes

ovoid to globose, 2–3 mm.

oblong or ellipsoid, 3.6–3.8 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, yellow to brown, mottled, mitten-shaped, 0.9–1.1 mm, smooth, glossy.

2, blackish brown, mottled, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1.9–2.8 mm, smooth.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Trifolium tomentosum

Trifolium appendiculatum

Phenology Flowering Feb–Apr. Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Sandy lawns, fields, meadows, roadsides, clay soils among vernal pools. Coastal areas, foothills, moun­tain meadows, ditches, wet areas.
Elevation 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) 0–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; FL; MA; NC; SC; s Europe (Mediterranean); sw Asia; n Africa; Atlantic Islands (Azores) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Chile), s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
Discussion

Trifolium tomentosum is occasionally cultivated as a forage crop (F. J. Hermann 1953) and is becoming weedy in the flora area and in Australia (R. P. Randall 2002).

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

Trifolium appendiculatum is found throughout California, although never east of the Sierra Nevada, and into southern Oregon.

(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. reflexum, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. retusum, T. rollinsii, T. siskiyouense, T. sonorense, T. stoloniferum, T. striatum, T. subterraneum, T. suffocatum, T. thompsonii, 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. 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. 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. appendiculatum var. rostratum, T. calophyllum, T. morleyanum, T. phaeocephalum, T. rostratum, T. splendens, T. trilobatum, T. variegatum var. major, T. variegatum var. rostratum, T. variegatum var. trilobatum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 771. (1753) Lojacono: Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. 15: 181. (1883)
Web links