Pea Family [Fabaceae] |
status
flower
morph
petals
stem
28th May 2012, Medina, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
It can be a low and sprawling plant |
14th June 2007, Sandown Rugby Club, IoW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
Or it can be a erect plant to 15cm. It grows in low or short-cut grass, lawns especially. The leaves are smaller than those on Lesser Trefoil which looks similar. |
28th May 2012, Medina, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
14th June 2007, Sandown Rugby Club, IoW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
The flowers are also a deeper yellow than those of the otherwise similar Lesser Trefoil. |
14th June 2007, Sandown Rugby Club, IoW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
The length of the leaflet stalks are equal for each triplet leaf. The flowers, at 2-3mm long each, are also smaller than those on Lesser Trefoil (which are 3-4mm long). The flowers are also on longer stalks and with fewer flowers in a bunch (between 2 to 6) [but can be as low as just one or as many as 10] and on a longer-stalked head. |
14th June 2007, Sandown Rugby Club, IoW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
As yet unopened flowers. |
28th May 2012, Medina, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
28th May 2012, Medina, IOW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
Easily mistaken for : Lesser Trefoil (Trifolium dubium) which also has small yellow flowers. See captions for differences. The fruits (not yet shown) are between 1.5 to 3mm across and contain either 1 or 2 seeds. It grows on short turf such as close-cut lawns and is present throughout most of Britain but rare in Ireland and Scotland (wherein it is not native). Like all trefoils the flowers are yellow in colour. |
Trifolium | micranthum | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Fabaceae |
Trifolium (Clovers) |
Pea Family [Fabaceae] |