''Trifolium jokerstii'' is a rare species of

clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

known by the common names Jim's clover and Butte County golden clover. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found elsew ...

Butte County, California Butte County () is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. In the 2020 census, its population was 211,632. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County comprises the Chico, CA metropolitan statistical area. It is ...

, where it is known from eight or nine occurrences near Oroville.California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Profile
/ref> It grows in seasonally moist habitat, such as

vernal pool Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...

s, pastures, and ephemeral creeks.The Nature Conservancy
/ref> It was previously included within the description of ''

Trifolium barbigerum ''Trifolium barbigerum'' is a species of clover known by the common name bearded clover. Distribution The plant is native to central coastal and Northern California and Oregon, below in elevation. Areas it is found include on the northern Channe ...

'' as an odd yellow-flowered variant of a mostly purple-pink-flowered species, and was elevated to species status in 1998. It was named for the California botanist Jim Jokerst.CalFlora Botanical Names
/ref> This is an annual herb with a decumbent or erect, hairless stem. The leaves are made up of oval blades up to about 3 centimeters long which are marked with a white or purplish chevron, and large, lance-shaped, toothed

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...

s. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a head of at least five golden yellow flowers on a bowl-like base of

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

References

External links

Calflora: ''Trifolium jokerstii'' (Jim's clover)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Trifolium jokerstii''Species Accounts: Butte County Golden CloverUC CalPhotos gallery: ''Trifolium jokerstii''
jokerstii Endemic flora of California Natural history of Butte County, California Natural history of the Central Valley (California) Plants described in 1998 Critically endangered flora of California {{Trifolieae-stub