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sand clover, thimble clover, tomcat clover, Willdenow's clover

large white-tip clover

Habit Herbs annual, 10–60 cm, glabrous. Herbs annual, 7–80+ cm, glabrous.
Stems

erect, branched.

ascending or erect, branched.

Leaves

palmate;

stipules lanceolate or ovate, 1–2 cm, margins dentate or lacerate, apex acuminate;

petiole 1–8 cm;

petiolules 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades linear, lanceolate, or elliptic, 1–5 × 0.2–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins serrate, apex acute, blunt, or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

palmate;

stipules lanceolate or ovate, 0.3–1.3 cm, margins lacerate, apex acute to acuminate;

petiole 2–7.3 cm;

petiolules to 0.9 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate-obcordate, elliptic, or obovate, 0.3–2.6 × 0.2–1.1 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins denticulate, apex acute or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, 10–50-flowered, globose or ovoid, 1–3.5 × 1–3 cm;

involucres flattened or bowl-shaped, 3–9 mm, when folded, not hiding flowers except proximally, incised 1/4–1/3 their length.

axillary, 4–25-flowered, subglobose or globose, 0.7–2 × 0.8–3 cm;

involucres flat, 3.2–6.5 mm, incised 1/2 their length, lobes 4–7, lacerate.

Peduncles

2–15 cm.

1.7–7.5 cm.

Pedicels

erect, 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

straight, to 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

Flowers

12–20 mm;

calyx tubular-campanulate, slit between adaxial lobes, 6–9 mm, glabrous, veins 10–15, tube 3–7 mm, lobes unequal, triangular or subulate, usually 3-fid or shouldered below apex, orifice open;

corolla usually white with purple spot, sometimes lavender or pink or all white, 10–18 mm, banner narrowly oblong, 12–20 × 3–4 mm, apex obtuse or retuse.

7–25 mm;

calyx campanulate, not slit between adaxial lobes, 3.5–7.4 mm, glabrous, veins 10–20, tube 1.5–3.3 mm, lobes subequal, narrowly triangular, margins usually entire, orifice open;

corolla deep purple, usually white-tipped, 6.5–17 mm, banner obovate, 6.3–16 × 1.5–4 mm, apex emarginate.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 3 mm.

oblong or ellipsoid, 3.6–3.8 mm.

Seeds

1 or 2, yellow, mottled, globose-ellipsoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, smooth.

2, blackish brown, mottled, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1.9–2.8 mm, smooth.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Trifolium willdenovii

Trifolium appendiculatum

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jul. Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Roadsides, meadows, lawns, hill­sides, stream margins, open oak chaparral. Coastal areas, foothills, moun­tain meadows, ditches, wet areas.
Elevation 0–2500 m. (0–8200 ft.) 0–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; OR
Discussion

Trifolium willdenovii was described by M. Zohary and D. Heller (1984) as one of the most variable clover species in North America.

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

Trifolium appendiculatum is found throughout California, although never east of the Sierra Nevada, and into southern Oregon.

(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. vesiculosum, T. virginicum, T. wormskioldii
T. albopurpureum, T. alexandrinum, T. amoenum, T. amphianthum, T. andersonii, T. andinum, T. angustifolium, 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. involucratum, T. aciculare, T. nuttallii, T. scabrellum, T. segetum, T. tridentatum, T. tridentatum var. aciculare, T. tridentatum var. scabrellum, T. tridentatum var. segetum, T. tridentatum var. watsonii, T. trimorphum, T. watsonii T. appendiculatum var. rostratum, T. calophyllum, T. morleyanum, T. phaeocephalum, T. rostratum, T. splendens, T. trilobatum, T. variegatum var. major, T. variegatum var. rostratum, T. variegatum var. trilobatum
Name authority Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 208. (1826) Lojacono: Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital. 15: 181. (1883)
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