Trifolium microcephalum Pursh
small-headed clover (smallhead clover)
Fabaceae (Pea family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Rod Innes     (Photo ID #9815)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Trifolium microcephalum
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Annual herb from fibrous roots; stems 1 to several, decumbent to erect, 10-70 cm long, long wavy-hairy.
Leaves:
Alternate, palmately compound; leaflets 3, wedge-egg-shaped, notched at the tip, 1-2.5 cm long; stipules egg-shaped, sometimes bristle-tipped, fine-toothed, green, 1/2 as long as the leaflets.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a dense, globe-shaped, long-stalked head, 5-10 mm wide, of 7 to 60 pea-like flowers, the heads set in long-hairy, cup-shaped, lobe-margined involucres, the lobes papery-edged and mostly not toothed but bristle-tipped; corollas pink to white, brown in age, 3-6 mm long; calyces hairy, 4-7 mm long, the awl-shaped teeth bristle-tipped, equalling or longer than the 10-veined tube and the lower teeth often surpassing the corolla.
Fruits:
Pods, egg-shaped to ellipsoid, 2-3 mm long, usually rupturing the calyces at maturity; seeds 1 or 2.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Trifolium microcephalum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
166 31 490
Slope Gradient (%)
45 7 210

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

180 23 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
1 0 3
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
66
Modal BEC Zone Class
CDF

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

CDF(13), IDF(1)

Habitat and Range

Moist to dry, open meadows, clearings, streambanks and grassy slopes in the lowland and steppe zones; locally frequent in SW BC, infrequent in SC BC; S to MT, NV, AZ and MX.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia