- You are here:
- Full Key
- All other flowering non-woody plants
- All other herbaceous, flowering dicots
- Trifolium tomentosum
Trifolium tomentosum — woolly clover
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
Woolly clover is native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa and is now found on other continents, introduced as a forage and cover crop. North American occurrences are very sporadic, in California, a few southeastern states, and in Massachusetts, where it has been collected in yards and waste areas.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Stamen number
- 10
- Fruit type (general)
-
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx growth after flowering
- the calyx grows to cover or partially cover the fruit
- Calyx symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
-
- NA
- the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary and a hypanthium
- Flower number
- At least 5
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Fused stamen clusters
- there are two clusters of fused stamens
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower has a hypanthium
- Inflorescence length
- 7–14 mm
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inflorescence width
- 5–8 mm
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Length of flower stalk
- At least 0 mm
- Length of peduncle
- At least 0 mm
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 1
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
-
- the petal narrows abruptly at the base
- the petal narrows gradually or does not narrow at the base
- Petal folding in bud
- the petals in bud are arranged in a cycle with edges overlapping like roof shingles (imbricate)
- Petal folds or pleats
-
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- the petals of the flower have folds or plaits on them
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal length
- 2–8 mm
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Raceme attachment (Veronica)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal length
- 5–10 mm
- Sepal number
- 5
- Sepal relative length
- the sepal lobes are longer than the fused portion
- Sepal shape
-
- the sepal outline is lanceolate (lance-shaped; narrow, gradually tapering from the base to the tip)
- the sepal outline is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- the sepal outline is subulate (narrowly tapering from the base to the apex; awl-shaped)
- Sepal uniformity
- one or more of the sepals is much narrower or shorter than the others
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals
- Stamen morphology
- the stamens within each cycle are the same
- Stamen number
- 10
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are attached to one another at or near their bases
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Style petal-like
- the styles are not petal-like
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
-
- NA
- the capsule splits by two main valves, teeth or pores
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length relative to sepals
-
- the fruit is longer than its associated sepals
- the fruit is shorter than its associated sepals
- Fruit locules
- one
- Fruit type (general)
-
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a legume (a fruit that splits into two valves, but only has a single carpel; think of a pea pod)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- the legume has none of the mentioned special features
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Seed number
- 1–2
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracteoles
- the plant has bracteoles between the primary bracts and the flowers
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 5–15 mm
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 1–1.5
- Floral bracts
- the flower has one or more bracts associated with it
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the leaf blade margin has outward-pointing teeth
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaflet number
- 1–3
- Leaflet petiolules
- the leaflets of the compound leaf have petiolules
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf has lobes that radiate from the base, somewhat like a hand
- Stipels
- there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipule fused to leaf stalk
- the stipules are fused to the petioles for some or most of their length
- Stipules
- the plant has stipules
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of a smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Hairs between stem nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- 5–15 cm
- Stem orientation
-
- the stems are upright or angled outwards
- the stems trail at the base, but may turn upwards at the tips
- Stem spacing
- the plant is growing in tufts, or compact clusters with closely spaced stems, or it is densely matted together in clumps, cushionlike
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
19. Trifolium tomentosum L. E
woolly clover. MA. Yards, waste areas.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Trifolium fragiferum:
- flowers not resupinate, peduncles mostly 40–80 mm long, and plants perennial, usually stoloniferous (vs. T. tomentosum, with flowers resupinate, peduncles up to 20 mm long, plants annual, not stoloniferous).
- Trifolium resupinatum:
- inflorescence mostly 10–20 mm in diameter, lobulate in fruit, borne on elongate peduncles 20–50 mm long, and stems mostly 10–40 cm tall (vs. T. tomentosum, with the inflorescence mostly 5–10 mm in diameter, hemispheroid to spherical in fruit, subsessile or borne on a peduncle shorter than 20 mm, and stems 5–15 cm tall).