Herbs perennial, 5–15 cm, gla­brous. Stems cespitose, short-branched. Leaves palmate; stip­ules broadly lanceolate, 1–1.5 cm, margins entire, apex acute-acuminate; petiole 0.6–1.2 cm; petiolules to 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades ovate, oblong-elliptic, or elliptic, 0.8–3 × 0.4–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins moderately thickened, margins entire or faintly serrate, apex acute to rounded or minutely apiculate, surfaces glabrous. Peduncles 6–20 cm. Inflorescences terminal, 4–15-flowered, ovoid-ellipsoid, 2.5–4 × 2.2–3 cm, rachis prolonged ca. 10 mm beyond distalmost flower; involucres absent. Pedicels strongly reflexed, 1–2 mm; bracteoles linear, minute. Flowers 15–18 mm; calyx whitish, campanulate, 7–10 mm, sparsely pubescent, veins 10, tube 4–5 mm, lobes subequal, longer than tube, narrowly triangular, acu­minate, orifice open; corolla purple to magenta, 15–18 mm, banner broadly ovate, 15–17 × 7–9 mm, apex obtuse or retuse. Legumes oblong, 6.5–7 mm. Seeds 1–3, yellow and red, flattened ovoid, 2–2.5 mm, smooth. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat: Open montane forests and subalpine areas.
Elevation: 3500–3700 m.

Distribution

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Colo., N.Mex.

Discussion

A close relationship between Trifolium brandegeei and T. parryi was hypothesized by J. M. Gillett (1965); this has not been borne out by flavonoid chemo­systematics (E. V. Parups et al. 1966) or DNA analyses (N. W. Ellison et al. 2006).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.