''Trifolium variegatum'' 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 name whitetip clover. It is native to western North America from southern

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

and

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

, where it occurs in many types of habitat.

Description

''Trifolium variegatum'' is a variable plant, taking many forms. It is an annual or possibly sometimes perennial herb growing prostrate to upright in form, thin to fleshy and usually hairless in texture. The leaves are made up of usually three variously shaped leaflets with serrated 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 headlike cluster containing a single flower or many flowers in a cluster over 2 centimeters wide. At its base is a fused involucre of

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s. Each flower has a calyx of

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 narrowing to bristle-like tips. The flower corolla is generally purplish in color and usually has a white tip. It grows in habitats with dry, sandy soil to moist meadows.

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Trifolium variegatum'' (Variegated clover, whitetip clover)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Trifolium variegatum''USDA Plants Profile for ''Trifolium variegatum'' (whitetip clover)Washington Burke MuseumUC CalPhotos gallery: ''Trifolium variegatum''
variegatum Flora of the West Coast of the United States Flora of Alaska Flora of British Columbia Flora of California Flora of Baja California Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Trifolieae-stub