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arrow-leaf clover

balloon sack clover, cowbag clover, dwarf sack clover, poverty clover

Habit Herbs annual, 15–70 cm, glabrous. Herbs annual, 1–30 cm, glabrous.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched.

erect or decumbent, branched.

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 sheathing proximally, ovate-oblong to lanceolate, 0.4–1.3 cm, margins entire or serrulate, apex short triangular-cuspidate;

petiole 1–5 cm;

petiolules to 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades lanceolate, linear, obovate, or oblanceolate, 0.4–2.5 × 0.1–0.7 cm, base cuneate, veins moderately thickened abaxially, margins entire, serrate, or pinnately lobed, apex rounded, truncate, acute, or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

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

involucres absent.

axillary or terminal, 3–15-flowered, globose or depressed-globose, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm;

involucres flattened, 3–13 mm, ± distinct or incised 1/2 their length, lobes 5–7, linear to elliptic or irregular, or vestigial, reduced to narrow ring, apex rounded to broad and irregularly erose, not split.

Peduncles

1–12 cm.

2–6 cm.

Pedicels

absent;

bracteoles lanceolate, 6–7 mm, acuminate.

straight, 0–0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

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.

3–10 mm;

calyx campanulate, 2–5 mm, glabrous, veins 5, tube 1–2.5 mm, lobes unequal, triangular-lanceolate or subulate, orifice open;

corolla white or pink, 3–11 mm, inflated in fruit, banner broadly ovate, 4–7 × 3–8 mm, apex rounded, broad, acute, or retuse.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 2.5–2.5 mm, shorter than calyx.

sessile or stipitate, ovoid, obovoid, or oblong, 2–4 mm.

Seeds

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

1–6, gray or tan, mottled, mitten-shaped, 1.2–1.6 mm, irregularly bumpy.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Trifolium vesiculosum

Trifolium depauperatum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Fields, roadsides, forest openings.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 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 USDA
w North America; nw Mexico; c North America; South America (Chile, Peru)
[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.)

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The three varieties of Trifolium depauperatum are relatively easily distinguished by characteristics of the involucres and fruit stipes. Leaf morphology is not helpful in making the distinctions; in each variety, leaf margins can range from nearly entire or toothed or laciniate. In the phylogenetic treatment by N. W. Ellison et al. (2006), T. depauperatum is not allied with T. fucatum and other clovers with inflated corollas but rather with T. obtusiflorum, T. trichocalyx, and T. willdenovii (although with weak support).

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

Key
1. Involucres reduced to narrow vestigial ring; inflorescences 1–1.5 cm diam.; flowers 7–10 mm; legumes ovoid, 3–4 mm, sessile.
var. depauperatum
1. Involucres with evident bracts; inflorescences 0.5–1 cm diam.; flowers 3–8 mm; legumes oblong, ovoid, or obovoid, 2–4 mm, sessile or stipes 0.5–1 mm.
→ 2
2. Involucral lobes broad, irregular, with broad, hyaline margins and reticulate veins; legumes oblong, 3–4 mm, ± sessile.
var. amplectens
2. Involucral lobes oblong, often with narrow hyaline margins and raised, parallel veins; legumes ovoid or obovoid, 2–3 mm, stipes 0.5–1 mm.
var. truncatum
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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
T. depauperatum var. amplectens, T. depauperatum var. depauperatum, T. depauperatum var. truncatum
Synonyms Lupinaster depauperatus
Name authority Savi: Fl. Pis. 2: 165. (1798) — (as vessiculosum) Desvaux: J. Bot. Agric. 4: 69, plate 32, fig. 2. (1814)
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