Trifolium repens L.

White Clover; Dutch White Clover; Ladino Clover

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

White Clover is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae) native to Europe and central Asia. It can be found throughout Alabama, occurring on roadsides, in fields, in pastures, in lawns, and in prairies. White Clover is a perennial with a tap root. The base of the plant usually dies within a year, leaving just the rooted stems. The stems (stolons) are decumbent, rooting at the nodes, green in color, branched, and glabrous to slightly pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and palmately trifoliate. The leaflets are obovate to elliptic in outline, finely toothed, and glabrous or nearly so on both surfaces. The upper surface of the leaflets is often marked with a white chevron (upside down "V"), but this may not be present in all plants. Flowers are produced in 20-80 flowered globose heads from the axils of the leaves. The peduncles are longer than the subtending leaves. The calyx is tubular, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, and with 5 unequal lobes. The corolla is white sometimes becoming pink tinged in color. The standard petal is longer than the wings and keel. The fruit is an oblong-linear 3-4 seeded legume. White Clover is extensively planted in Alabama, with many cultivars available. They are often classified as small, intermediate (Dutch Clover), or large (Ladino clover) based on height.—A. Diamond

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Not Native FACU (NWPL)

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