Herbs annual, 7–80+ cm, glabrous. Stems ascending or erect, branched. Leaves palmate; stipules lanceolate or ovate, 0.3–1.3 cm, margins lacerate, apex acute to acuminate; petiole 2–7.3 cm; petiolules to 0.9 mm; leaflets 3, blades obovate-obcordate, elliptic, or obovate, 0.3–2.6 × 0.2–1.1 cm, base cuneate, veins thickened, margins denticulate, apex acute or retuse, surfaces glabrous. Peduncles 1.7–7.5 cm. Inflorescences axillary, 4–25-flowered, subglobose or globose, 0.7–2 × 0.8–3 cm; involucres flat, 3.2–6.5 mm, incised 1/2 their length, lobes 4–7, lacerate. Pedicels straight, to 0.5 mm; bracteoles absent. Flowers 7–25 mm; calyx campanulate, not slit between adaxial lobes, 3.5–7.4 mm, glabrous, veins 10–20, tube 1.5–3.3 mm, lobes subequal, narrowly triangular, margins usually entire, orifice open; corolla deep purple, usually white-tipped, 6.5–17 mm, banner obovate, 6.3–16 × 1.5–4 mm, apex emarginate. Legumes oblong or ellipsoid, 3.6–3.8 mm. Seeds 2, blackish brown, mottled, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1.9–2.8 mm, smooth. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat: Coastal areas, foothills, moun­tain meadows, ditches, wet areas.
Elevation: 0–1400 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Loading map...

Calif., Oreg.

Discussion

Trifolium appendiculatum is found throughout California, although never east of the Sierra Nevada, and into southern Oregon.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.