''Trifolium amoenum'', known by the common names showy Indian clover and two-fork clover, is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

annual

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

that subsists in

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

areas of the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

and the northern

California Coast Ranges The Coast Ranges of California span from Del Norte County, California, Del Norte or Humboldt County, California, south to Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Trans ...

Description

This

wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...

has an erect growth habit and is typically found on heavy soils at elevations less than 100 meters. The flower head is somewhat spherical with a diameter of about 2.5 centimeters. The petals are purple gradating to white tips.

History and conservation

Edward Lee Greene collected the first recorded specimen of this plant in 1890 in

Vacaville, California Vacaville is a city located in Solano County, California, United States. It is located from Sacramento, California, Sacramento and from San Francisco, it is on the edge of the Sacramento Valley in Northern California. The city was founded in ...

(in Solano County). The historical range of ''Trifolium amoenum'' was from the western extreme of the

Sacramento Valley The Sacramento Valley is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the Sacramento River. It encompasses all or parts of ten Northern California ...

in Solano County west and north to Marin and Sonoma Counties, where many sites were presumed extirpated by urban and agricultural development. From further expansion of the human population, ''Trifolium amoenum'' had become a

rare species A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon, scarce, or infrequently encountered. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and is distinct from the term ''endangered species, endangered'' or ''threatened ...

by the mid 1900s. Through the latter 1900s the number of distinct populations dwindled to about 20 in number, from pressure of an expanding human population and urban development.

Rediscovery

By 1993 ''Trifolium amoenum'' was thought to be extinct, after the population in

depleted, but was rediscovered by Peter Connors in the form of a single plant on a site in western Sonoma County.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arcata Division, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, Ca. The seeds from this single plant organism were used to grow more specimens. The Sonoma County location has been developed and any plants remaining there have been

extirpated Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions. Local extinctions mark a chan ...

. Presently there is only a single extant population, subsequently discovered in 1996 in northern Marin County, which numbers approximately 200 plants. ''Trifolium amoenum'' became a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

in 1997. Recent conservation research on ''Trifolium amoenum'' has been conducted by the Bodega Marine Laboratory.

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Trifolium amoenum'' (Showy indian clover)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Trifolium amoenum''California Native Plant Link Exchange species summary for ''Trifolium amoenum''UC CalPhotos gallery: ''Trifolium amoenum''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2063984 amoenum Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of Marin County, California Natural history of Sonoma County, California Endemic flora of the San Francisco Bay Area

Description

History and conservation

Rediscovery

See also

References

External links