Herbs annual, 10–60 cm, glabrous. Stems erect, branched. Leaves palmate; stipules lanceolate or ovate, 1–2 cm, margins dentate or lacerate, apex acuminate; petiole 1–8 cm; petiolules 0.5 mm; leaflets 3, blades linear, lanceolate, or elliptic, 1–5 × 0.2–1.5 cm, base cuneate, veins fine, margins serrate, apex acute, blunt, or retuse, surfaces glabrous. Peduncles 2–15 cm. Inflo­rescences axillary or terminal, 10–50-flowered, globose or ovoid, 1–3.5 × 1–3 cm; involucres flattened or bowl-shaped, 3–9 mm, when folded, not hiding flowers except proximally, incised 1/4–1/3 their length. Pedicels erect, 0.5 mm; bracteoles absent. Flowers 12–20 mm; calyx tubular-campanulate, slit between adaxial lobes, 6–9 mm, glabrous, veins 10–15, tube 3–7 mm, lobes unequal, triangular or subulate, usually 3-fid or shouldered below apex, orifice open; corolla usually white with purple spot, sometimes lavender or pink or all white, 10–18 mm, banner narrowly oblong, 12–20 × 3–4 mm, apex obtuse or retuse. Legumes ellipsoid, 3 mm. Seeds 1 or 2, yellow, mottled, globose-ellipsoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, smooth. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat: Roadsides, meadows, lawns, hill­sides, stream margins, open oak chaparral.
Elevation: 0–2500 m.

Distribution

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B.C., Ariz., Calif., Idaho, Oreg., Wash., Mexico (Baja California).

Discussion

Trifolium willdenovii was described by M. Zohary and D. Heller (1984) as one of the most variable clover species in North America.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.