Trifolium bolanderi
Encyclopedia
Trifolium bolanderi is a species of clover
known by the common names Bolander's clover and parasol clover. It is endemic to California
, where it is known only from the meadows of the Sierra Nevada.
The inflorescence
is a head of flowers 1 or 2 centimeters wide, the flowers soon drooping to hang from the head in a parasol
-shaped arrangement. Each flower has a calyx of dark purple or black sepal
s that contrasts with the pale pinkish corolla. The tubular corolla measures just over a centimeter long.
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 Bolander's clover and parasol clover. It is endemic to 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...
, where it is known only from the meadows of the Sierra Nevada.
Description
Trifolium bolanderi is a perennial herb growing in clumps with upright stems and mostly hairless herbage. The leaves are arranged around the base of the stem. Each is made up of oval leaflets with toothed edges.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 a head of flowers 1 or 2 centimeters wide, the flowers soon drooping to hang from the head in a parasol
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
-shaped arrangement. Each flower has a calyx of dark purple or black 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 that contrasts with the pale pinkish corolla. The tubular corolla measures just over a centimeter long.