TRIFOLIUM

Trifolium L., Sp. Pl. 764. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 337. 1754; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 86. 1879; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 548; Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 284; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2. 115. 1921 (Reprint 1980).

Annual or perennial herbs, erect or procumbent. Leaves trifoliate, rarely digitately 5-9 foliate; leaflets generally sessile, mostly dentate; stipules partly adnate to petiole. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, small, numerous, sessile or shortly pedicellate, crowded in axillary or terminal long-stalked (rarely sessile) ovoid or globose heads or rarely in racemes or solitary. Bracts small or none. Calyx campanulate; teeth 5, nearly equal or the 3 lower longer. Corolla papilionaceous, pink, red to purple, white or yellow; petals narrow, persistent; the claws united to the staminal tube. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free, anthers uniform. Monocarpellary, ovary unilocular with few ovules (1-12), placentation marginal; style slightly incurved, glabrous; stigma minute, capitate. Pods indehiscent, enclosed within marcescent calyx and brown, deflexed withered corolla, 1-4(-12) seeded.

291 species

Trifolium alexandrium

Trifolium alexandrium L., Cent. Pl. 1: 25. 1755; Coombe in Turin et al., Fl. Europaea 2: 171. 1968; Bailey, Man. Cult. Pl. 581. 1949; Ali in Nasir & Ali, Fl. W. Pak. 100: 288. f. 39(B). 1977 ("alexandrianum"); Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 269. 2004; Fl. China @ eFloras.org; Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 288.

Annual herbs, sparsely pubescent to glabrescent. Stems erect or ascending, 20-60 (-90) cm, striate, branched at base. Leaves palmately trifoliate; alternate in lower part of stem, opposite in upper part; petioles longer in lower leaves, up to 6 cm, short in upper leaves, ca. 2 cm long; leaflets obovate or broadly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 15-40 mm x 6-15 mm; lateral veins 6-10, base broadly cuneate to obtuse, margin of upper half serrate or serrulate, apex obtuse, mucronate, rarely emarginate, both surfaces pubescent. Stipules +/- 2.25 cm long, lanceolate, adnate to petiole in approximate lower half, pale green, margin sparsely ciliate, apex subulate. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, small, numerous, in ovoid or oblong conic, terminal or axillary heads,1.5-2.5 cm x 1-1.5 cm; often a few bracts forming a minute involucre, bracts ca. 5 mm long, scarious, hairy; peduncles 1-2 x heads. Flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate, creamy white, ca. 1.3 cm long. Calyx tube ca. 3 mm long, teeth unequal, spinescent, plumose; lower tooth longest, up to 5 mm long; others short, ca. 3.5 mm long. Corolla creamy white; vexillum ca. 1.2 cm long, 2.5-3.0 mm wide, oblong, emarginate; wings ca. 8 mm x 1.5 mm, claw narrow and long, ca. 4 mm long; wing appendiculate at base; keel slightly shorter than wings, claws ca. 1.5 mm long, adnate with staminal tube. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free; staminal sheath ca. 3 mm long; filaments (free part) ca. 2 mm long; anthers uniform. Ovary small with one ovule; style long, 6-6.5 mm long, slightly incurved; stigma minute. Legumes 3-3.5 mm x 2 mm, ovoid with a beak, pericarp membranous, enclosed in persistent calyx, indehiscent; seed 1, ovoid, ca. 2.25 mm x 1.5 mm, yellow.

Flowering and Fruiting: March to May
Common Names: Barseem Clover, Egyptian Clover; Barseem (Hindi)