Trifolium macraei
Encyclopedia
Trifolium macraei is a species of clover
known by the common names Chilean clover, double-head clover, and MacRae's clover. It has a disjunct distribution
, occurring on the coastline of Oregon
and California
in the United States, as well as in South America. It grows in coastal habitat, such as sand dunes
, and disturbed areas. It is an annual herb taking a decumbent or erect form. The leaves are made up of oval leaflets 1 to 2 centimeters in length. The inflorescence
is usually made up of two oval or rounded heads of flowers each measuring up to 1.5 centimeters wide. Each flower has a calyx of sepal
s which taper into densely hairy bristles. The flower corolla is purple or bicolored with white or pink.
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 Chilean clover, double-head clover, and MacRae's clover. It has a disjunct distribution
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
, occurring on the coastline of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and 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...
in the United States, as well as in South America. It grows in coastal habitat, such as sand dunes
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
, and disturbed areas. It is an annual herb taking a decumbent or erect form. The leaves are made up of oval leaflets 1 to 2 centimeters in length. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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 usually made up of two oval or rounded heads of flowers each measuring up to 1.5 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 which taper into densely hairy bristles. The flower corolla is purple or bicolored with white or pink.