Trifolium andersonii
Encyclopedia
Trifolium andersonii is a species of clover
known by the common names Anderson's clover and fiveleaf clover. It is native to the western United States, particularly the Great Basin
and adjacent high mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada.
. It has been noted to be the dominant species in dry areas on the alpine grassland steppe
in the White Mountains
of California
.
is a head of flowers measuring 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Each flower has a calyx of sepal
s with narrow, densely hairy lobes. Within the calyx is the flower corolla, which is pinkish purple or bicolored.
Various subtaxa are usually recognized by authors as varieties or subspecies.
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
known by the common names Anderson's clover and fiveleaf clover. It is native to the western United States, particularly the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and adjacent high mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada.
Distribution
It grows in forests, mountain meadows, and talusScree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
. It has been noted to be the dominant species in dry areas on the alpine grassland steppe
Alpine-steppe
The alpine-steppe ecoregion is a high altitude natural grassland, in the montane grasslands and shrublands biome. The alpine-steppe receives very little rainfall.-Example:The Tibetan plateau is one example of an alpine steppe...
in the White Mountains
White Mountains (California)
The White Mountains of California are a triangular fault block mountain range facing the Sierra Nevada across the upper Owens Valley. They extend for approximately as a greatly elevated plateau about wide on the south, narrowing to a point at the north, with elevations generally increasing...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Description
Trifolium andersonii is a perennial herb growing in a tuft or low cushion, and lacking a stem. The long-haired or woolly, silvery-gray leaves have 3 to 7 leaflets each up to 2 centimeters long. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a head of flowers measuring 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Each flower has a calyx of sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s with narrow, densely hairy lobes. Within the calyx is the flower corolla, which is pinkish purple or bicolored.
Various subtaxa are usually recognized by authors as varieties or subspecies.