''Trifolium bolanderi'' is a species of

clover Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest diversit ...

known by the common names Bolander's clover and parasol clover.Calflora
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Distribution

The perennial herb is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It is known only from the meadows of the central

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

in Lower and Upper montane coniferous forest

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s, with small populations in Fresno County, Madera County, and Mariposa County. It is listed as a

Vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, ...

by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

, and is on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants as a Fairly endangered species.California Native Plant Society: Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02)
. accessed 2.28.2016.

Description

''Trifolium bolanderi'' is a perennial herb growing in clumps with upright stems and mostly hairless herbage. The leaves are arranged around the base of the stem. Each is made up of oval leaflets with toothed edges. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a head of flowers 1 or 2 centimeters wide, the flowers soon drooping to hang from the head in a parasol-shaped arrangement. Each flower has a calyx of dark purple or black

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s that contrasts with the pale pinkish corolla. The tubular corolla measures just over a centimeter long.

References

External links

''Calflora: Trifolium bolanderi'' (Bolander's clover, Parasol clover)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Trifolium bolanderi''UC CalPhotos gallery: ''Trifolium bolanderi''
bolanderi Endemic flora of California Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of Fresno County, California Natural history of Madera County, California Natural history of Mariposa County, California Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Trifolieae-stub