Herbs perennial, 10–15 cm, gla­brous or glabrate. Stems creep­ing, branched, rooting at nodes. Leaves palmate; stipules lance­olate or ovate, 0.5–1 cm, margins entire or shallowly lobed, apex acute to cuspidate; petiole 3–13(–25) cm; petiolules 1 mm; leaflets 3, blades obovate, rhom­bic, or elliptic, 1–1.9 × 0.8–1.2 cm, base cuneate, veins prominent, margins minutely denticulate or entire, apex rounded, emarginate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy. Peduncles 1 or 2 from end of stolon at ground-level, 10–12 cm. Inflorescences terminal, 25–50-flowered, globose, 1.8–2.2 × 1.8–2.2 cm; involucres absent. Pedicels reflexed in fruit, 2–3 mm; bracteoles triangular-acuminate, 0.5–1.5 mm. Flowers 9–11 mm; calyx campanulate, 4.5–5.5 mm, sparsely puberulent, veins 10, tube 2 mm, lobes equal, narrowly triangular to subulate, orifice open; corolla white, veins often reddish, 8–9 mm, banner obovate-oblong, 9–11 × 5–6 mm, apex rounded, retuse. Legumes stipitate, ellipsoid, 2–3.5 mm. Seeds 1 or 2, light brown, mitten-shaped, 1.1–1.5 mm, smooth. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Shallow soils on limestone glades.
Elevation: 100–500 m.

Distribution

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Tenn., Va.

Discussion

Trifolium calcaricum is endemic to xeric limestone prairies and in limestone cedar glades in western Vir­ginia and eastern and central Tennessee (J. L. Collins and T. F. Wieboldt 1992; P. J. Lawless et al. 2006).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.