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arrow-leaf clover

Beckwith's clover

Habit Herbs annual, 15–70 cm, glabrous. Herbs perennial, 5–50 cm, glabrous.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched.

erect or ascending, unbranched or several stems clumped from crown.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules linear-lanceolate, 1–3.5 cm, margins entire, apex subulate or setaceous;

petiole 0.5–10 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflet 3, blades obovate to oblong, elliptic or lanceolate, 0.5–4 × 0.5–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, thickened, margins spinulose-denticulate, apex apiculate, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules narrowly ovate, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, 1–2 cm, margins entire or toothed, apex acute;

petiole 0.5–20 cm;

petiolules 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades usually rhombic, oblong, or elliptic, sometimes ovate, 2.5–5 × 0.6–2 cm, base cuneate, veins slightly thickened, margins setose-serrulate, apex obtuse or retuse, surfaces glaucous abaxially, glabrous.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary, 50–100+-flowered, globose, ovoid, or oblong, 3–6 × 2–3.5 cm;

involucres absent.

terminal or axillary, 30–70+-flowered, globose or ovoid becoming subglobose, 1.5–4 × 1.8–3.3 cm, rachis prolonged beyond flowers, undivided or forked, often bearing sterile flower buds distally;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

1–12 cm.

straight, thick, 5–25 cm.

Pedicels

absent;

bracteoles lanceolate, 6–7 mm, acuminate.

strongly reflexed in fruit, 1–1.5 mm;

bracteoles minute.

Flowers

12–16 mm;

calyx urceolate, not bilabiate, inflated in fruit, 6–10 mm, glabrous, veins 20–36, connected by transverse veins in fruit, tube 3–5 mm, lobes reflexed, subequal, subulate, as long as tube, orifice constricted;

corolla white becoming pink, 12–15 mm, banner ovate, broadly clawed, striate, 12–15 × 2–4 mm, apex acute-acuminate.

11–14 mm, sweetly fragrant;

calyx campanulate, gibbous, 4–6 mm, glabrous, veins 5, tube 2–3 mm, lobes unequal, narrowly triangular or subulate, orifice open;

corolla light purplish, sometimes with pink tips, 10–13 mm, banner straight, obovate to broadly elliptic, 13–18 × 6–8 mm, apex rounded or retuse, apiculate.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 2.5–2.5 mm, shorter than calyx.

oblong, 5 mm.

Seeds

2 or 3, brown, ovoid, 1–1.5 mm, roughened.

2–4, reddish brown, flattened globose, 1.5–2 mm, smooth.

2n

= 16.

= 48.

Trifolium vesiculosum

Trifolium beckwithii

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Fields, roadsides, forest openings. Moist, grassy meadows along streams.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 1200–2000 m. (3900–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; FL; GA; LA; MA; MO; MS; OK; OR; SC; TX; VA; WA; s Europe; e Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trifolium vesiculosum was first introduced into cultivation in the United States in 1963 and is grown in southern and western states (J. D. Miller and H. D. Wells 1985).

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

Disjunct populations of Trifolium beckwithii found in South Dakota are over 1200 km east of the nearest populations in Montana. The South Dakota populations appear to have been long-distance introductions from populations in northern California, based on molecular data (M. R. Duvall et al. 1999).

(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. variegatum, 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. 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
Name authority Savi: Fl. Pis. 2: 165. (1798) — (as vessiculosum) Brewer ex S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 128. (1876)
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