''Trifolium campestre'', commonly known as hop trefoil, field clover and low hop clover, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and western

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

, growing in dry, sandy

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

habitats, fields, woodland margins, roadsides, wastelands and cultivated land. The species name ''campestre'' means "of the fields".

Description

It is a herbaceous annual plant, growing to 10–30 cm tall, with distinctive yellow flowerheads that superficially resemble hop flowers. Each flowerhead is a cylindrical or spherical collection of 20–40 individual

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s. The flowers become brown upon aging and drying, enclosing the fruit, a one-seeded pod. The leaves are alternate and trifoliate, with three oblong or elliptical leaflets 4–10 mm long. This species is very closely related to large hop trefoil ('' Trifolium aureum'').

Cultivation and uses

Trifolium campestre - Flickr - Kevin Thiele

Hop trefoil is an important clover in

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

because its foliage is good for feeding

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

and replenishing

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debri ...

. It is not generally planted, but is considered a valuable herb when found growing in a pasture. It has become naturalised in North America, particularly in the west and south of the continent.

Similar plants

Hop trefoil, ''Trifolium campestre'', may be confused with other plants that have three leaflets and small yellow flowers, such as large hop trefoil (''T. aureum''), lesser hop trefoil (''T. dubium''), black medick (''Medicago lupulina''), and yellow woodsorrel (''Oxalis stricta'').

References

* Ajilvsgi, Geyata. (2003). ''Wildflowers of Texas.'' Shearer Publishing, Fredericksburg, Texas. .

External links

Washington Burke MuseumJepson Manual TreatmentDiscover Life: ''Trifolium campestre''

Flora of Europe Flora of Lebanon campestre Flora of Lebanon and Syria Flora of Maghreb {{Trifolieae-stub