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variegated clover, white-tip clover

Great Divide clover, intermountain clover

Habit Herbs annual, 1.5–48+ cm, glabrous. Herbs perennial, 5–15 cm, pubescent.
Stems

usually erect, ascending, or prostrate, branched.

erect or ascending, cespitose, much-branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules lanceolate or ovate, 0.3–1 cm, margins lacerate, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole 1–9 cm;

petiolules to 0.8 mm;

leaflets 3, blades elliptic, obovate, oblanceolate, or obcordate, 0.2–5 × 0.1–1.2 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins denticulate, apex acute or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules oblanceolate, 0.5–1.4 cm, margins entire, apex acute-acuminate;

petiole 0.5–4 cm;

petiolules to 0.1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades oblanceolate, often folded, 0.4–1.5 × 0.2–0.4 cm, base cuneate, veins obscure, margins subentire to denticulate distally, apex acute, mucronulate, surfaces villous.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, 1–20+-flowered, subglobose or globose, 0.5–1.3 × 0.1–1 cm;

involucres flat, 2–6 mm, incised 1/2 their length, lobes 2–7, lacerate.

terminal, usually formed of 2 sessile heads, 15–25-flowered, globose, 0.8–2 × 0.6–1.5 cm;

involucres absent, distal stipules and leaves sometimes forming involucrelike structure.

Peduncles

0.5–5 cm.

between distal leaves or involucrelike structure and inflorescences 0.5–6 cm.

Pedicels

straight, to 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

straight, (0–)1–2 mm;

bracteoles broadly ovate, truncate, membranous, to 0.5 mm.

Flowers

5–11 mm;

calyx campanulate, not slit between adaxial lobes, 1.9–2.4 mm, glabrous, veins 10–20, tube 1.5–4 mm, lobes subequal, narrowly triangular, margins usually entire, rarely with a small lateral tooth, orifice open;

corolla purple, usually white-tipped, 3–10 mm, banner obovate, 3–10 × 0.6–2.6 mm, apex emarginate.

10–15 mm;

calyx tubular-campanulate, 6–9 mm, rough-hairy or glabrous, veins 10, tube 3–6 mm, lobes subequal, subulate, orifice open;

corolla light purple, 10–15 mm, banner oblong, 9–13 × 3–4 mm, apex rounded or truncate;

ovaries pubescent distally.

Legumes

oblong or ellipsoid, 2–4 mm.

ellipsoid, 4–5 mm.

Seeds

2, blackish brown, sometimes mottled, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1–1.6 mm, smooth.

1 or 2, brown, ovoid, 1.5–2 mm, smooth.

2n

= 16.

Trifolium variegatum

Trifolium andinum

Phenology Flowering Mar–Sep. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Wet places, coastal hills, mead­ows. Shale or clay bluffs and hilltops, crevices of volcanic or limestone rock, pinyon-juniper belt.
Elevation 0–2500 m. (0–8200 ft.) 1600–2300 m. (5200–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium variegatum is widespread and morphologically variable (B. G. Foster and M. A. Vincent 2018). Because of this variability, T. variegatum and related species were treated as seven so-called phases by D. Isely (1998), who described these as ecotypic groups, some of which might deserve varietal or specific rank. C. S. Cooper (1957) considered T. variegatum a good choice for cultivation in wet areas for grazing and hay production.

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

Trifolium andinum ranges from central and southern Nevada into west-central Utah, north-central Arizona to southeastern Utah, north-central New Mexico, and northeastern Utah into southwestern Wyoming. Differentiation of T. andinum into subspecific taxa proved impossible, since no consistent gaps in morphological traits could be found.

(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. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
T. albopurpureum, T. alexandrinum, T. amoenum, T. amphianthum, T. andersonii, 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. tomentosum, T. trichocalyx, T. variegatum, T. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
Synonyms T. dianthum, T. geminiflorum, T. melananthum, T. pusillum, T. spinulosum var. triste, T. subsalinum, T. tridentatum var. melananthum, T. ultramontanum, T. variegatum var. geminiflorum, T. variegatum var. melananthum T. andinum var. canone, T. andinum var. navajoense, T. andinum var. podocephalum, T. andinum var. wahwahense
Name authority Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 317. (1838) Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 314. (1838)
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