Balansa Clover

Family: Pea (Fabaceae syn. Papilionaceae)

Scientific Name:

Trifolium michelianum

Status:

Native to the Mediterranean region.

Plant Description:

Annual herb with ascending or erect habit. Stems to 30-60 cm long, branching extensively, hairless. Leaves are trifoliate with obovate to oblong leaflets, 10-30 mm long and 6-20 mm wide, hairless, sharply toothed and with a mucronate point. Stipules (leaf-like structures at the base of the leaf and flower-stalks) leafy with red to purplish veins.

Flowers pink, many flowered, in globular heads, 25 mm long and 30 mm wide.

Habitat:

Sown as a waterlogging tolerant pasture species. Not common as a naturalised species. Established plants can tolerate some salinity but seedlings are not particularly good at coping with salt.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, Gippsland	S0, *S1	W1, W2, W3

*only tolerates salinity when well established

Comments:

A number of cultivars with varying tolerance levels have been developed for pasture situations. One of a number of annual clovers growing or purposely grown in Victoria. 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)

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