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woolly clover

plumed clover

Habit Herbs annual, 10–20 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Herbs perennial, 10–60 cm, villous.
Stems

prostrate, ascending, or erect, branched.

erect, branched or unbranched.

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 linear, oblong, or ovate, 1.5–2.5 cm, margins entire or slightly serrulate, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole 1–20 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear, elliptic, oblong, or lanceolate-elliptic, often folded, falcate, 4–11 × 0.1–1.6 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins denticulate, apex acute or acuminate, surfaces villous.

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.

terminal, 70–80-flowered, spicate, ovoid to cylindric, 3–6 × 2.5–3 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

0.5–1.5 cm.

2–6 cm.

Pedicels

slightly reflexed, to 0.5 mm;

bracteoles cup-shaped, membranous, 0.2 mm.

erect or absent, 0–0.5 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.

17–18 mm;

calyx campanulate, 5 mm, villous, veins 20, tube 2.5 mm, lobes subequal, subulate, straight, orifice open;

corolla creamy white, keel petals crimson, 12–22 mm, banner oblong, 12–22 × 3–5 mm, apex acute;

ovaries glabrous or pubescent distally.

Legumes

ovoid to globose, 2–3 mm.

obovoid, 4–5 mm.

Seeds

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

1–3, reddish brown or tan, ellipsoid, 1.8–2 mm, smooth, glossy.

2n

= 16.

= 32.

Trifolium tomentosum

Trifolium plumosum

Phenology Flowering Feb–Apr.
Habitat Sandy lawns, fields, meadows, roadsides, clay soils among vernal pools.
Elevation 0–400 m. (0–1300 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 USDA
nw United States
[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.)

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

J. M. Gillett (1972) stated that the leaflet width in the basal leaves is the best distinction between the two subspecies, which are geographically isolated.

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

Key
1. Leaflet blades of basal leaves 0.2–0.5(–0.7) cm wide, apex acuminate; herbs 20–35 cm.
subsp. plumosum
1. Leaflet blades of basal leaves (0.8–)0.9–1.6 cm wide, apex acute; herbs 10–60 cm.
subsp. amplifolium
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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
T. plumosum subsp. amplifolium, T. plumosum subsp. plumosum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 771. (1753) Douglas in W. J. Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 130, plate 49. (1831)
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