Persian Clover

Persian Clover photos

Family Name: Pea (Fabaceae syn. Papilionaceae)

Scientific Name:

Trifolium resupinatum

Persian Clover plant
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa.

Plant Description:

Annual herb with prostrate or erect habit. Stems to 80 cm long, branching from the lower parts and hairless. Leaves are trifoliate with obovate leaflets, 5-50 mm long and 3-20 mm wide, hairless, sharply toothed. Stipules (leaf-like structures at the base of the leaf and flower-stalks) membranous and distinctly veined.

Flowers pink to purple, many flowered, in near globular heads, 10-15 mm long and 5-15 mm wide. Calyx inflated in fruit with spreading teeth

Habitat:

Sometimes sown as a waterlogging tolerant pasture species. Also of scattered occurrence as a weed of waste places and on the fringes of swamps and lakes, including those with some salinity.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, Gippsland	S0, S1, S2	W0, W1, W2

*may be found on or fringing saline sites during the wetter parts of the year

Comments:

One of a number of small annual clovers found in pastures, waste ground and bordering swamps, lakes and water courses. A simple key to the more common of these species is provided (Key to common annual clovers). Other clovers, but with a perennial habit, include Strawberry Clover (Trifolium fragiferum, White Clover (Trifolium repens) and Red Clover (Trifolium pratense).

Persian Clover photos

Persian Clover flower-head Photo: A J Brown	Maturing flower-head of Persian Clover Photo: A J Brown
Mature flower-head of Persian Clover Photo: A J Brown	Persian Clover flowers at various stages Photo: A J Brown

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