Trifolium willdenovii Sprengel   =Trifolium tridentatum var. tridentatum   Fabaceae (Pea Family)   Native   Tomcat Clover

                                   March Photo

Plant Characteristics: Glabrous annual, with erect to +/- decumbent stems 1-4 dm. long; lower stipules lanceolate, acuminate, entire, the upper round-ovate, laciniate; lfts. linear to lance-oblong, 1.5-3.5 cm. long, +/- setate-denticulate; peduncles 5-9 cm. long; invol. a flat disk, unevenly laciniate, but not lobed, commonly 10-15 mm. broad; calyx-teeth shorter than the 10-nerved tube, dilated below, often with 2 small lateral teeth or shoulders; corolla 12-15 mm. long, red-purple, the banner pale toward tip, the wings dark; pods mostly 2-seeded.

Habitat:  Common in mostly grassy places below 5000 Ft.; many Plant Communities; cismontane and to desert edges; Channel Ids.; to B.C.  March-June.

Name:  Latin, tres, three, and folium, leaf.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 470).  Latin, dentatus, toothed.  (Jaeger 78).  Tridentatum, three toothed.  Willdenovii, named after K.L. Willdenow (1765-1812), German botanist of Berlin; one of the most eminent and best informed systematists of his time.  (Jaeger 317).

General:  Rare in the study area having been found only on the bluff edge between San Joaquin Hills Rd. and the Newporter Canyon.  The plant was outside the old Irvine cattle fence in an area that had probably never been grazed or plowed.  In March 2003, the plant was found along the bluff side path below Eastbluff North.  This second location is a more  disturbed area. (my comments).     The Miwok Indians of central California ate the leaves, stems and flower buds of T. willdenovii raw or steamed in an earth oven.  (Campbell 137).      For additional information on the genus Trifolium, see the data sheets for T. amplectans, T. gracilentum var. gracilentum, T. hirtum, and T. microcephalum.

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. II 535; Hickman, Ed. 654; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 475.; Roberts 25.

Photo Ref:  April 93 # 19,21; April 2 93 # 4A; Mar 03 # 14.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.  

First Found:  April 1993.

Computer Ref: Plant Data 456.

Have plant specimen

Last edit 12/20/04

                                 April Photo                                                                        April Photo