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FABACEAE

LEGUME FAMILY

Annual to tree
Leaves generally compound, alternate, stipuled; leaflets generally entire
Inflorescence: generally raceme, spike, umbel or head; flowers sometime 1–2 in axils
Flowers generally bisexual, generally bilateral; hypanthium generally flat or cup-like; sepals generally 5, fused; petals generally 5, free, or the 2 lower ± fused; stamens 1–many, often 10 with 9 filaments at least partly fused, 1 (uppermost) free; pistil 1, ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, ovules 1–many, style, stigma 1
Fruit: legume, sometimes including a stalk-like base above receptacle, dehiscent, or indehiscent and breaking into 1-seeded segments, or indehiscent, 1-seeded, and achene-like
Seeds 1–several, often ± reniform, generally hard, smooth
Genera in family: ± 650 genera, 18,000 species: worldwide; with grasses, requisite in agriculture and most natural ecosystems. Many cultivated, most importantly Arachis , peanut; Glycine , soybean; Phaseolus , beans; Medicago ; Trifolium ; and many orns
Reference: [Polhill & Raven (eds) 1981 Advances in legume systematics; Allen & Allen 1981 Leguminosae]
Family description and key to genera by Duane Isely.

TRIFOLIUM

CLOVER

Duane Isely

Annual or perennial herb, unarmed
Leaves generally palmately compound; stipules conspicuous, partly fused to petiole; leaflets generally 3, sometimes 5–9, ± serrate or dentate
Inflorescence: raceme (often umbel-like), head, or spike, axillary or terminal, generally many-flowered, often involucred, generally peduncled; flowers bracted or not
Flower generally spreading to erect, often becoming reflexed; corolla generally purple to pale lavender, sometimes yellow, persistent after flower; 9 filaments fused, 1 free
Fruit generally indehiscent, but often breaking, short, plump, generally included in corolla; base often stalk-like
Seeds 1–6
Etymology: (Latin: 3 leaves)
Reference: [Gillett 1980 Can J Bot 58:1425–1558; Zohary & Heller 1984 Genus Trifolium]

Native

T. fucatum Lindl.

Annual, often robust, ± glabrous
Stem decumbent to erect, often hollow
Leaves cauline; stipules wide; leaflets 1–2.5 cm, elliptic to ± round, ± entire to toothed
Inflorescence head-like, 5–many-flowered; involucre bracts ± free to 1/2 fused, margin scarious; flowers quickly spreading or reflexed
Flower: calyx 4–7 mm, longer lobes bristle-like, > tube, often branched; corolla 10–20 mm, dull white or yellowish, purple-tipped, banner inflated in fruit
Fruit 5–10 mm; stalk-like base 0.5–2 mm
Seeds 2–4
Chromosomes: 2n=16
Ecology: Locally abundant. Moist, open grassland, ditches, marshes, roadsides, sometimes saline or serpentine soils
Elevation: < 1100 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Great Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, South Coast, Channel Islands
Distribution outside California: Oregon
Synonyms: var. gambelii (Nutt.) Jeps.; var. virescens (Greene) Jeps
Many vars. based on insignificant variation in calyx
Horticultural information: SUN, WET: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

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bioregional map for TRIFOLIUM%20fucatum being generated
 
N.B. The distribution depicted here differs from that given in The Jepson Manual (1993)

Retrieve Jepson Interchange Index to Plant Names entry for Trifolium fucatum
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