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arrow-leaf clover

kates mountain clover

Habit Herbs annual, 15–70 cm, glabrous. Herbs perennial, 3–10 cm, pilose.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched.

cespitose, prostrate, branched 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 oblanceolate to ovate, 1–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex acute-acuminate;

petiole 5–10 cm;

petiolules to 1 mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear-elliptic, elliptic, narrowly oblong, or lanceolate, 1–7 × 0.4–1 cm, base cuneate, veins fine or thickened, margins entire or serrulate, apex truncate to acute, surfaces pubescent abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

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

involucres absent.

terminal or axillary, 20–40-flowered, becoming supine in fruit, globose, 1.5–3.5 × 1.5–3 cm;

involucres absent.

Peduncles

1–12 cm.

2–6 cm.

Pedicels

absent;

bracteoles lanceolate, 6–7 mm, acuminate.

reflexed in fruit, 3–8 mm;

bracteoles ovate or lanceolate-linear, to 1 mm.

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.

10–12 mm;

calyx campanulate, 4–7 mm, pilose, veins 10, tube 1.5–3 mm, lobes equal, subulate, orifice open;

corolla white, sometimes becoming pink to red, 10–12 mm, banner obovate-oblong, 10–12 × 4–5 mm, apex rounded, retuse or mucronate.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 2.5–2.5 mm, shorter than calyx.

stipitate, obovoid, 4–7.5 mm.

Seeds

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

1, yellow-brown, mitten-shaped, 1.8–2.1 mm, rugose.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Trifolium vesiculosum

Trifolium virginicum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Fields, roadsides, forest openings. Shale barren slopes.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 400–1200 m. (1300–3900 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
MD; PA; VA; WV
[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.)

Trifolium virginicum is an endemic species of shale barrens in the Appalachian Mountains, from Bedford, Franklin, and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania, southward through eastern West Virginia and western Maryland, to northwestern Virginia.

Genetic similarity is high among populations of Trifolium virginicum, and gene flow appears to be low (T. M. Linscott 1994).

(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. 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. willdenovii, T. wormskioldii
Name authority Savi: Fl. Pis. 2: 165. (1798) — (as vessiculosum) Small: Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 4: 112, plate 75. (1894)
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