Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...
with highest diversity in the temperate
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
, but many species also occur in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, including at high altitudes on mountains in the tropics. They are small
annual
Annual may refer to:
* Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
**Yearbook
** Literary annual
* Annual plant
* Annual report
* Annual giving
* Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
* Annuals (b ...
,
biennial
Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years.
In particular, it can refer to:
* Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...
, or short-lived
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
plants, typically growing up to 30 cm tall. The
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are
trifoliate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
(rarely quatrefoiled; see
four-leaf clover
The four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common three-leaf clover. According to traditional sayings, such clovers bring good luck, though it is not clear when or how this idea began. One early mention of "Fower-leafed or purple grasse" is ...
), monofoil, bifoil, cinquefoil, hexafoil, septfoil, etcetera, with
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
adnate
Adnate may refer to:
* Adnation, in botany, the fusion of two or more whorls of a flower
* Adnate, in mycology, a classification of lamellae (gills)
* Conjoined twins
Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are ...
to the leaf-stalk, and heads or dense spikes of small red, purple, white, or yellow flowers; the small, few-seeded pods are enclosed in the calyx. Other closely related genera often called clovers include ''
Melilotus
''Melilotus'', known as melilot, sweet clover, and kumoniga (from the Cumans),Bulgarian Folk Customs, Mercia MacDermott, pg 27 is a genus in the family Fabaceae (the same family that also includes the ''Trifolium'' clovers). Members are known ...
'' (sweet clover) and ''
Medicago
''Medicago'' is a genus of flowering plants, commonly known as medick or burclover, in the legume family (Fabaceae). It contains at least 87 species and is distributed mainly around the Mediterranean basin. The best-known member of the genus is ...
'' (
alfalfa
Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as w ...
or
Calvary clover
''Medicago intertexta'', the hedgehog medick, Calvary clover, or Calvary medick, is a flowering plant of the family ''Fabaceae''. It is found primarily in the western Mediterranean basin. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium '' S ...
).
Cultivation
Several species of clover are extensively cultivated as fodder plants. The most widely cultivated clovers are
white clover
''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles,Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg., E.F. 1968. ''Excursi ...
, ''Trifolium repens'', and
red clover
''Trifolium pratense'', the red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalized in many other regions.
Description
Red clov ...
, ''Trifolium pratense''. Clover, either sown alone or in mixture with
ryegrass
''Lolium'' is a genus of tufted grasses in the bluegrass subfamily (Pooideae). It is often called ryegrass, but this term is sometimes used to refer to grasses in other genera.
They are characterized by bunch-like growth habits. ''Lolium'' is ...
, has for a long time formed a staple crop for silaging, for several reasons: it grows freely, shooting up again after repeated mowings; it produces an abundant crop; it is palatable to and nutritious for
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
s; it grows in a great range of
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...
s and
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...
s; and it is appropriate for either pasturage or green composting.
In many areas, particularly on
acidic soil
Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the neg ...
, clover is short-lived because of a combination of insect pests, diseases and nutrient balance; this is known as "clover sickness". When
crop rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It reduces reliance on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, and the probability of developing resistant ...
s are managed so that clover does not recur at intervals shorter than eight years, it grows with much of its pristine vigor.
Clovers are most efficiently pollinated by
bumblebee
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...
s, which have declined as a result of agricultural intensification.Bumbles make beeline for gardens, study suggests Retrieved 27 November 2010.
Honeybee
A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmo ...
s can also pollinate clover, and
beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees.
Beekeepers are also called honey farmers, apiarists, or less commonly, apiculturists (both from the Latin '' apis'', bee; cf. apiary). The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees i ...
s are often in heavy demand from farmers with clover pastures. Farmers reap the benefits of increased reseeding that occurs with increased bee activity, which means that future clover yields remain abundant. Beekeepers benefit from the clover bloom, as clover is one of the main nectar sources for honeybees.
''
Trifolium repens
''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles,Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg., E.F. 1968. ''Excursio ...
'', white or Dutch clover, is a perennial abundant in meadows and good pastures. The flowers are white or pinkish, becoming brown and deflexed as the corolla fades. '' Trifolium hybridum'', alsike or Swedish clover, is a perennial which was introduced early in the 19th century and has now become naturalized in Britain. The flowers are white or rosy, and resemble those of ''Trifolium repens''. ''
Trifolium medium
''Trifolium medium'', the zigzag clover, is a flowering plant species in the bean family Fabaceae. It is similar in appearance to red clover, ''Trifolium pratense'', but the leaflets are narrower and have no white markings and the narrow stipules ...
'', meadow or zigzag clover, a perennial with straggling
flexuous
{{Short pages monitor
* ''Trifolium patulum'' Tausch
* ''Trifolium pauciflorum'' d'Urv.
* ''Trifolium petitianum'' A. Rich.
* ''Trifolium philistaeum'' Zohary
* ''Trifolium phitosianum'' N. Böhling et al.
* ''Trifolium phleoides'' Pourr. ''ex'' Willd.
* ''Trifolium physanthum'' Hook. & Arn.
* ''Trifolium physodes'' Steven ''ex'' M. Bieb.
* ''Trifolium pichisermollii'' J. B. Gillett
* ''Trifolium pignantii'' Brongn. & Bory
* ''Trifolium pilczii'' Adamović
* ''Trifolium pilulare'' Boiss.
* ''Trifolium pinetorum'' Greene
* ''Trifolium plebeium'' Boiss.
* ''Trifolium plumosum'' Douglas
* ''Trifolium polymorphum'' Poir.
* ''Trifolium polyodon'' Greene
* ''Trifolium polyphyllum'' C. A. Mey.
* ''Trifolium polystachyum'' Fresen.
* ''Trifolium praetermissum'' Greuter et al.
* ''
Trifolium pratense
''Trifolium pratense'', the red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalized in many other regions.
Description
Red clove ...
'' L. – red clover
* ''Trifolium prophetarum'' M. Hossain
* ''Trifolium pseudostriatum'' Baker f.
* ''Trifolium purpureum'' Loisel.
* ''Trifolium purseglovei'' J. B. Gillett
* ''Trifolium quartinianum'' A. Rich.
* ''Trifolium radicosum'' Boiss. & Hohen.
* ''Trifolium reflexum'' L. – buffalo clover
* ''
Trifolium repens
''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles,Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg., E.F. 1968. ''Excursio ...
'' L. – shamrock (white clover)
* ''Trifolium resupinatum'' L. – Persian clover, shaftal
* ''Trifolium retusum'' L.
* ''Trifolium riograndense'' Burkart
* ''Trifolium roussaeanum'' Boiss.
* ''Trifolium rubens'' L.
* ''Trifolium rueppellianum'' Fresen.
* ''Trifolium salmoneum'' Mouterde
* ''Trifolium saxatile'' All.
* ''Trifolium scabrum'' L.
* ''Trifolium schimperi'' A. Rich.
* ''Trifolium scutatum'' Boiss.
* ''Trifolium sebastianii'' Savi
* ''Trifolium semipilosum'' Fresen.
* ''Trifolium setiferum'' Boiss.
* ''Trifolium simense'' Fresen.
* ''Trifolium sintenisii'' Freyn
* ''Trifolium siskiyouense'' J. M. Gillett
* ''Trifolium somalense'' Taub.
* ''Trifolium spadiceum'' L.
* ''Trifolium spananthum'' Thulin
* ''Trifolium spumosum'' L.
* ''Trifolium squamosum'' (or ''maritimum'') L. – sea clover
* ''Trifolium squarrosum'' L.
* ''Trifolium stellatum'' L.
* ''Trifolium steudneri'' Schweinf.
* ''Trifolium stipulaceum'' Thunb.
* ''Trifolium stoloniferum'' Muhl. ''ex'' A. Eaton – running buffalo clover
* ''Trifolium stolzii'' Harms
* ''Trifolium striatum'' L. – knotted clover
* ''Trifolium strictum'' L.
* ''Trifolium subterraneum'' L. – subterranean clover
* ''Trifolium suffocatum'' L.
* ''Trifolium sylvaticum'' Gérard ''ex'' Loisel.
* ''Trifolium tembense'' Fresen.
* ''Trifolium thalii'' Vill.
* ''Trifolium thompsonii'' C. V. Morton – Thompson's clover
* ''Trifolium tomentosum'' L.
* ''Trifolium triaristatum'' Bertero ''ex'' Colla
* ''Trifolium trichocalyx'' A. Heller – Monterey clover
* ''Trifolium trichocephalum'' M. Bieb.
* ''Trifolium trichopterum'' Pančić
* ''Trifolium tumens'' Steven ''ex'' M. Bieb.
* ''Trifolium ukingense'' Harms
* ''Trifolium uniflorum'' L.
* ''Trifolium usambarense'' Taub.
* ''Trifolium variegatum'' Nutt. – whitetip clover
* ''Trifolium vavilovii'' Eig
* ''Trifolium velebiticum'' Degen
* ''Trifolium velenovskyi'' Vandas
* ''Trifolium vernum'' Phil.
* ''Trifolium vesiculosum'' Savi
* ''Trifolium vestitum'' D. Heller & Zohary
* ''Trifolium virginicum'' Small
* ''Trifolium wentzelianum'' Harms
* ''Trifolium wettsteinii'' Dörfl. & Hayek
* ''Trifolium wigginsii'' J. M. Gillett
* ''Trifolium willdenovii'' Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel, Spreng. − tomcat clover
* ''Trifolium wormskioldii'' Johann Georg Christian Lehmann, Lehm. – cow clover
See also
* Clover honey
* Cloverleaf quasar
* Green manure
References
External links
* Quattrofolium Edible parts and visual identification of wild clover. Nitrogen fixation
{{Authority control
Forages
Garden plants
Groundcovers
Nitrogen-fixing crops
Trifolium,
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus