Trifolium wormskioldii is a species of clover[3] native to the western half of North America. Its common names include cows clover,[4] coast clover, sand clover, seaside clover, springbank clover,[5] and Wormskjold's clover.[3]
| Trifolium wormskioldii | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Trifolium |
| Species: | T. wormskioldii
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| Binomial name | |
| Trifolium wormskioldii | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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List
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Description
editTrifolium wormskioldii, a legume, is a perennial herb sometimes taking a matlike form, with decumbent or upright stems. The leaves are made up of leaflets measuring 1 to 3 centimetres (1⁄2 to 1 1⁄4 inches) long. The lower stipules are tipped with bristles and the upper stipules may be toothed.
The rounded inflorescences are 2 to 3 cm (3⁄4 to 1 1⁄4 in) wide. The sepals are bristle-tipped. The corollas are pinkish purple or magenta with white tips.[6]
Etymology
editThe species was given its scientific name in honour of the Danish botanist Morten Wormskjold.[7]
Distribution and habitat
editThis plant is native to the western half of North America from Alaska, through California, to Mexico. It is a perennial herb that grows in many locales, from beaches to mountain ridges, below about 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) in elevation.[6]
Habitats it grows in include chaparral, oak woodland, grassland, yellow pine forest, red fir forest, lodgepole forest, subalpine forest, and wetland−riparian.
Uses
editMany Native American groups of western North America use this clover for food. The herbage and flowers are eaten raw, sometimes salted. The roots are commonly steamed or boiled and eaten with fish, fish eggs, and fish grease.[8]
This species is host to the caterpillar of the Western cloudywing butterfly (Thorybes diversus).[9]
References
edit- ^ NatureServe (2024). "Trifolium wormskioldii". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Trifolium wormskioldii Lehm". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b Trifolium wormskioldii. The Nature Conservancy.[dead link]
- ^ NRCS. "Trifolium wormskioldii". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- ^ "Trifolium wormskioldii". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ a b Jepson T. wormskioldii
- ^ Charters, M. L. "wormskioldii". California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations.
- ^ Trifolium wormskioldii. Native American Ethnobotany. University of Michigan, Dearborn.
- ^ Thorybes diversus. Butterflies and Moths of North America.
External links
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