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

small cluster clover, suffocated clover, suffocating clover

Habit Herbs annual, 10–60 cm, glabrous. Herbs annual, 3–10 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy.
Stems

erect, branched.

procumbent 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 ovate, 0.3–0.5 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate-subulate;

petiole 1–6 cm;

petiolules to 0.5 mm;

leaflets 3, blades obovate or obcordate, 0.3–0.8 × 0.2–0.6 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent adaxially, margins finely toothed, apex truncate or retuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy.

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, 10–20-flowered, dense, globose, 0.5–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 cm;

involucres absent, stipules forming involucrelike structures, overtopping inflorescences.

Peduncles

2–15 cm.

essentially absent.

Pedicels

erect, 0.5 mm;

bracteoles absent.

straight, 0.1 mm;

bracteoles triangular, membranous, 0.5–1.2 mm, apiculate.

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.

3–5 mm;

calyx tubular, 3–5 mm, slightly hairy or glabrous, veins 10, tube 2–3 mm, lobes subequal, lanceolate, curved in fruit, orifice open;

corolla white, 2.5–3.5 mm, banner obovate, 2.5–3.5 × 1 mm, apex acute.

Legumes

ellipsoid, 3 mm.

ovoid-ellipsoid, 3–5 mm.

Seeds

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

2, yellow, lenticular or reniform, 0.8–1 mm, minutely papillate.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Trifolium willdenovii

Trifolium suffocatum

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jul. Flowering Mar–Apr.
Habitat Roadsides, meadows, lawns, hill­sides, stream margins, open oak chaparral. Roadsides, gravelly lawns.
Elevation 0–2500 m. (0–8200 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; w Europe; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America (Chile), w Asia, s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[BONAP county map]
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 suffocatum is known from Monterey and San Mateo counties in California, Benton and Coos counties in Oregon, and San Juan County in Washington.

(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. 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. 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
Name authority Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 208. (1826) Linnaeus: Mant. Pl. 2: 276. (1771)
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