TRIFOLIUM REPENS

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Subgen. LOTOIDES/Sect.

LOTOIDEA

Common Names:- White clover

Homotypic Synonyms:- Amoria repens.

Meaning:- Trifolium (L) With three leaflets.

Repens (L) Creeping.

General description:- Very variable, low to short, creeping perennial.

Stems:-

1) Rooting at the nodes, usually hairless.

Leaves:-

1) Long-petiolate.

2) Leaflets, obovate, rounded or emarginate, usually bright green with light or dark

markings. along the veins, or both, lateral veins translucent.

3) Stipules, large, membranous, sheathing, contracted into a subulate apex, not

denticulate or fimbriate.

Flower:-

1) Peduncles, erect, much longer than subtending leaf.

2) Heads, globose, rather lax, 20-35 mm in diam.

3) Flowers, bracteate, pedicels equalling or exceeding the calyx, soon deflexed,

scented.

4) Calyx-teeth, narrowly lanceolate, the 2 upper longer than the rest, separated by

narrow acute sinuses.

5) Calyx tube, campanulate, 10-veined.

6) Corolla 8-13 mm, usually clearly exceeding the calyx, white or pinkish.becoming

light brown and strongly deflexed after anthesis:

a) standard, ovate-lanceolate.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, narrow, compressed, constricted between the 3-4 seeds.

Key features:-

1) Calyx-teeth, unequal, the 2 upper longer than the rest, narrowly lanceolate,

separated by narrow acute sinuses.

2) Stipules, not denticulate or fimbriate.

3) Stems, creeping and rooting at the nodes.

4) Leaflets, with translucent lateral veins and usually light or dark markings.

5) Flowers, strongly deflexed after anthesis.

6) Calyx-tube, longer than wide.

7) Standard, ovate-lanceolate.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- In a variety of disturbed, somewhat damp habitats, generally at 0-1500 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Widespread in Europe and SW Asia.

Cultivated world wide. Fairly widespread on Crete, but mainly central-west, west

and east.

Note: A dwarf ecotype of snowbed meadows at high altitude is known as var.

orphanideum, occuring in mountains of Greece, Crete, W Anatolia and possibly

elsewhere. 1)

1) "Atlas of the Aegean Flora" Book1, Arne Strid 2016.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to Aug.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton