[Clovers: The Genus Trifolium in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Sand Clover, Tomcat Clover

Trifolium willdenovii

Synonyms: Trifolium tridentatum, Trifolium tridentatum var. aviculare, Trifolium tridentatum var. tridentatum

Inflorescence of Sand Clover, Tomcat Cover: Trifolium willdenovii (Synonyms: Trifolium tridentatum, Trifolium tridentatum var. aviculare, Trifolium tridentatum var. tridentatum)

The photo above shows a close-up of the inflorescence of sand clover as seen at Catherine Creek..........May 1, 2005.
Sideview of the calyx and corolla of Sand Clover, Tomcat Cover: Trifolium willdenovii (Synonyms: Trifolium tridentatum, Trifolium tridentatum var. aviculare, Trifolium tridentatum var. tridentatum) The photo at right shows a close-up of a flower and calyx of sand clover as seen at Catherine Creek in the middle Columbia River Gorge of Washington...........May 1, 2005.
Characteristics:

Sand clover is an attractive but small clover. It is an annual with several spreading to erect stems from 10-70 cm long. The three leaflets are narrow and range from linear, elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate in shape, and range from 1-4 cm in length. The leaflets are typically toothed their entire length. The stipules are 1/3-1/2 the length of the leaflets.

The flower heads are 6-60-flowered and range from 10-30 mm wide and tall. The involucre is saucerlike below the flower head and is irregularly toothed. Individual flowers range form 10-13 mm long with purplish petals which are either lighter or darker in color at the tip. The clayx isoften purplish with 15-25 nerves, the teeth about equal in length to the tube. The pod is usually 2-seeded.

Habitat:

Sand clover may be found in grassy meadows and on hillsides.

Range:

Sand clover may be found from British Columbia south to California along the western edge of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mts..

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 100'-900' between Wind Mt. and Horsethief Butte.

Stem leaves of Sand Clover, Tomcat Cover: Trifolium willdenovii (Synonyms: Trifolium tridentatum, Trifolium tridentatum var. aviculare, Trifolium tridentatum var. tridentatum)

The photo above shows the narrow blades of the leaflets of sand clover as seen at Catherine Creek........May 1, 2005. Note the toothed margins to the leaflets.

Inflorescence of Sand Clover, Tomcat Cover: Trifolium willdenovii (Synonyms: Trifolium tridentatum, Trifolium tridentatum var. aviculare, Trifolium tridentatum var. tridentatum) - Sand Clover, Tomcat Cover: Trifolium willdenovii (Synonyms: Trifolium tridentatum, Trifolium tridentatum var. aviculare, Trifolium tridentatum var. tridentatum)

Two additional close-ups of sand clover as seen at Catherine Creek.........May 10, 2009.
Paul Slichter