Subterranean Clover

Subterranean Clover photos

Family: Pea (Fabaceae syn. Papilionaceae)

Scientific Name:

Trifolium subterraneum

Subterranean Clover plants
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa.

Plant Description:

Annual herb with prostrate or decumbent habit. Stems few, 10-35 cm long, weak and sparingly branched, sparely hairy to almost hairless. Leaves are trifoliate with obovate to obcordate leaflets, 8-25 mm long and 8-25 mm wide, hairy on both surfaces, apex notched. Stipules (leaf-like structures at the base of the leaf and flower-stalks) leafy.

Flowers white with pink to red stripes, few fertile, several sterile, in a near globular or obovoid head, 10 mm long and 10 mm wide. Fruiting heads are pushed into the soil by the mature calyces (outer leaf-like flower whorls) which develop a solid, stalk-like tube.

Habitat:

Widespread and commonly sown pasture species. Also a weed of lawns, gardens, cultivation and waste areas across Victoria. Typically a plant of drier grasslands and moist habitats but some cultivars will persist in wetter conditions. May occur on the fringes of saline swamps and flats during wetter periods.

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

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

Comments:

Many cultivars of Subterranean Clover have been developed for pastures, particularly in the lower rainfall regions of the State, where perennial clover species do not persist. 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).

Subterranean Clover photos

Subterranean Clover plant Photo: A J Brown	Stem base of Subterranean Clover Photo: A J Brown
Subterranean Clover leaf Photo: A J Brown	Flowers and leaves of Subterranean Clover Photo: A J Brown
Flowers and leaves of Subterranean Clover Photo: A J Brown	Subterranean Clover seed burr Photo: A J Brown

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