Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Trifolium hybridum

Family

Fabaceae

Flowering season

June to September

English distribution

It is found throughout the country.

See the BSBI distribution map for Alsike Clover

Habitat

It is a neophyte that used to be grown as a fodder crop and

is still grown as a nitrogen-rich, green manure.

It has been naturalised in the wild since the 1760s.

It grows in grassy and waste places

Description

Alsike Clover is an annual, nitrogen-fixing herb, growing up

to 40cm. The plants shown here were growing in cliff-top

grassland and were shorter.

The flowerheads are up to 2cm and on stalks in the axils of

the leaves.

The stalks (peduncles) are up to 5cm.

Flowers are pink or white and up to 1cm.

They have pedicels that are longer thas the calyx-tube -

see picture of a similar sized White Clover for comparison.

The pedicels deflex after flowering.

Pods are up to 4mm and 2-seeded.

Leaflets are narrow ovals and have no pale markings

(cf. White Clover).

The scale-like stipules are oblong with triangular tips.