Et ceterach…

Trifolium pratense L., 1753

Common names

  • 🇬🇧 Red Clover
  • 🇫🇷 Trèfle des prés, Trèfle violet

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Tracheophytes
  • Clade: Angiosperms
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Clade: Superrosids
  • Clade: Rosids
  • Clade: Fabids
  • Order: Fabales
  • Family: Fabaceae
  • Subfamily: Faboideae
  • Genus: Trifolium
  • Species: Trifolium pratense

Presence

Present.

Conservation status

  • Red List (Metropolitan France): LC Least Concern
  • Red List (Europe): LC Least Concern

Notes

The color of the flowers typically ranges from pink to violet, but they can also be white.

Possible confusion with T. medium L., 1759, whose stipules have an acute apex, while those of T. pratense have a more obtuse apex.

Possible confusion of the white flowered individuals with T. repens L., 1753, which has leafless flowered stems, while T. pratense has leafed flowered stems.

The following infraspecific taxa are accepted:

  • T. pratense subsp. nivale (Sieber ex W.D.J.Koch) Arcang., 1882, P (het. syn. T. pratense var. villosum DC., 1805);
  • T. pratense subsp. pratense
    • var. expansum (Waldst. & Kit.) Hausskn., 1893;
    • var. pratense L., 1753, P;
    • var. maritimum Zabel, 1859, P;
    • var. sativum (Schreb.) Gray, 1822, M;
    • var. semipurpureum Strobl, 1887.

Hybridizes with T. patens Schreb., 1804 to produce T. × adulterinum Beyer, 1915, P.

Photographs

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Trifolium pratense
img/trifolium-pratense-2.webp
Trifolium pratense
img/trifolium-pratense-6.webp
Trifolium pratense
img/trifolium-pratense-3.webp
Trifolium pratense - Leaf
img/trifolium-pratense-4.webp
Trifolium pratense - Leaves and flower bud
img/trifolium-pratense-5.webp
Trifolium pratense - Stem and stipule

Sources