Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Trifolium aureum

Family

Fabaceae

Flowering season

June to August

English distribution

It is thinly scattered throughout the country.

See the BSBI distribution map for Large Trefoil

Habitat

It is a neophyte which was introduced to the UK in the mid

1810s and noted in the wild in the 1830s.

The escape is naturalised in rough grassland.

Description

Large Trefoil is an annual, erect, slightly hairy, nitrogen-fixing

herb, growing up to 30cm.

It looks like a larger Hop Trefoil (May), but with bigger

flowerheads and narrower leaves.

The flowerheads are stretched globes up to 2cm and stalked.

Individual flowers are up to 8mm and golden yellow.

The flowerheads turn brown on ripening.

Leaflets are in 3s, up to 25mm, veined and elongated ovals.

Stipules are oblong ovals and slightly pointed.