''Trifolium andersonii'' is a species of
clover
Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...
known by the common names fiveleaf clover and Anderson's clover. It is native to the western United States, particularly the
Great Basin and adjacent high mountain ranges, including the
Sierra Nevada. It was named after
Charles Lewis Anderson by
Asa Gray.
Distribution
It grows in forests, mountain meadows, and
talus. It has been noted to be the dominant species in dry areas on the
alpine grassland steppe in the
White Mountains of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
Research Natural Areas: White Mountain Summit
/ref>
Description
''Trifolium andersonii'' is a perennial herb growing in a tuft or low cushion, and lacking a stem. The long-haired or woolly, silvery-gray leaves have 3 to 7 leaflets each up to 2 centimeters long. The inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
is a head of flowers measuring 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Each flower has a calyx of sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...
s with narrow, densely hairy lobes. Within the calyx is the flower corolla, which is pinkish purple or bicolored.
Various subtaxa are usually recognized by authors as varieties or subspecies.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - Trifolium andersoniiPhoto gallery: Trifolium andersonii ssp. ''andersonii''Photo gallery: Trifolium andersonii ssp. ''beatleyae''
andersonii
Flora of California
Flora of Idaho
Flora of Nevada
Flora of Oregon
Flora of the Great Basin
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
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Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Trifolieae-stub