Trifolium ornithopodioides

Herbs annual, 5–50 cm, gla­brous or glabrescent. Stems pro­cumbent, ascending, or erect, branched. Leaves palmate; stip­ules obovate-lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 cm, margins entire, apex subulate or cuspidate; peti­ole 4–10 cm; petiolules 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades obcor­date or obovate, 0.6–1 × 0.4–0.6 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins finely serrate, apex truncate or emarginate, surfaces glabrous. Peduncles 0.5–2 cm. Inflorescences axillary, 1–5-flowered, loose, oblong, 0.5–1.2 × 0.1–0.5 cm; involucres absent or bracteoles shallow, cup­like, ± equaling pedicels. Pedicels straight or slightly reflexed, 1–3 mm; bracteoles lanceolate, 1 mm. Flowers 5–10 mm; calyx campanulate, 4–4.5 mm, glabrous, veins 10, tube 2.5–3 mm, lobes unequal, triangular, orifice open; corolla pink or white, 5–9 mm, banner oblong, 5–9 × 2–3 mm, apex rounded. Legumes stipitate, ellipsoid-oblong, 6–10 mm. Seeds 4–9, black or dark brown, ellipsoid-globose, 1–1.5 mm, smooth, glossy. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Coastal slopes, roadsides.
Elevation: 0–50 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; N.B., Europe, n Africa, introduced also in Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Trifolium ornithopodioides comprises small plants and has been considered a member of Trigonella by some authors; molecular studies by N. W. Ellison et al. (2006) showed that it is nested within Trifolium.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.