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woolly clover

bearded clover

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

prostrate, ascending, or erect, branched.

decumbent 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 ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–1.1 cm, margins toothed or lacerate, apex acute-acuminate;

petiole 1–10 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades oblanceolate or obovate, 1.5–2.5 × 0.4–0.7 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, thickened distally, margins ± serrate or entire, apex rounded or retuse, surfaces pubescent or 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 or terminal, 5–20-flowered, subglobose or globose, 0.6–1.5 × 1–1.5 cm;

involucres bowl-shaped, 5–15 mm, lobes 6–10, sharply setaceous-toothed, sinuses shallow.

Peduncles

0.5–1.5 cm.

5–10 cm.

Pedicels

slightly reflexed, to 0.5 mm;

bracteoles cup-shaped, membranous, 0.2 mm.

straight, 0.2 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.

4–6 mm;

calyx campanulate, 5–9 mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, veins 5, tube 2–3 mm, lobes ± equal, setaceous, often exceeding banner, orifice open;

corolla usually lavender to purple, usually with white tips, rarely wholly white, 5–8 mm, banner broadly oblong, proximally inflated in fruit, distally narrowed into twisted tip, 6–8 × 6–8 mm, apex broadly acute.

Legumes

ovoid to globose, 2–3 mm.

ovoid-ellipsoid, 2–3 mm.

Seeds

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

1 or 2, brown, ellipsoid to subglobose, 1–1.5 mm, slightly roughened.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Trifolium tomentosum

Trifolium barbigerum

Phenology Flowering Feb–Apr. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Sandy lawns, fields, meadows, roadsides, clay soils among vernal pools. Vernal pools, stream banks, meadows, lawns.
Elevation 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) 0–1300 m. (0–4300 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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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 barbigerum is relatively common and widespread in California, and extends northward into Coos, Curry, and Jackson counties in Oregon. It is morphologically similar to T. physanthum of Chile, to which it is a sister species in phylogenetic studies (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006).

(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. appendiculatum, T. arvense, T. attenuatum, T. aureum, 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. minutissimum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 771. (1753) Torrey in War Department [U.S.]: Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 79. (1857)
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