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Western Wetland Flora

Field Office Guide to Plant Species

Large-head Clover
Trifolium macrocephalum (Pursh) Poir.

JPG -- Species Photo JPG -- Distribution Map

Family: Pea (Leguminosae)
Flowering: April-May
Field Marks: The field marks for this clover are purple or purplish flowers in heads up to 1 1/2 inches long and its leaves with 4, 7, or 9 leaflets
Habitat: Wet meadows; also on slopes and in sagebrush.
Habit: Perennial herb with thickened rootstocks, forming loose mats.
Stems: Spreading, rather stout, sparsely long-hairy, up to 1 foot long.
Leaves: Alternate, on stalks up to 3 inches long, divided into 5, 7, or 9 leaflets; leaflets 1/2-1 inch long, oblong to obovate, rounded at the tip, tapering to the base, sparsely toothed, sparsely hairy; stipules ovate to oblong, up to 1 inch long, sparsely toothed.
Flowers: Many in an ovoid head up to 1 1/2 inches long, the head on a stalk up to 1 1/2 inches long; each flower on stalks up to 1/20 inch long; bracts bristly.
Sepals: 5, green, 1/2-1 inch long, united below, the lobes very narrow and pointed, long hairy.
Petals: 5, purple or purplish, up to 1 1/2 inches long, arranged in the form of a sweetpea flower.
Stamens: 10.
Pistils: Ovary superior.
Fruits: Pods smooth, up to 1/4 inch long, on a short stalk, usually about 6-seeded.

Previous Species -- Long-stalk Clover (Trifolium longipes)
Return to Species List -- Group 6
Next Species -- Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

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URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/species/6/trifmacr.htm
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Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 06:26:45 EST
Sioux Falls, SD [sdww55]