SPECIES DESCRIPTION
TRIFOLIUM DASYURUM
Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Subgen. TRIFOLIUM/Sect.
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Trifolium (L) With three leaflets.
Dasyurum Meaning unknown.
General description:- Robust, low to short, erect, hairy annual.
Stems:-
1) (2-)8-20 (-35) cm, erect, simple or branching from the base, with dense patent
hairs.
Leaves:-
1) Branching above, with the 2 uppermost leaves subopposite.
2) Leaflets, 20-25 mm, oblong-elliptical or lanceolate, acute, entire.
3) Stipules, lanceolate-acuminate, entire, somewhat inflated, whitish with
conspicuous green or purplish veins, free part triangular-aristate.
Flowers:-
1) Heads, 20-35 mm, often paired; globose or ovoid.
2) Peduncles, (5-)30-100 mm, with appressed or patent hairs.
3) Calyx tube, c. 5 mm, cylindrical, 10-veined, with straight subappressed hairs.
a) teeth, 2-3 times as long as tube (the lowest somewhat longer than the others)
patent in fruit, 3-veined, triangular-lanceolate.
4) Corolla, 16 mm, pink, rarely purple, shorter than the calyx.
Key features:-
1) Calyx teeth, 2-3 times as long as the tube.
2) Corolla, shorter than the calyx.
Habitat:- Stony hillslopes with dry open shrubby vegetation, olive groves, field
margins. 0-500 m.
Distribution:- In Greece known only from the Aegean area. - An E Mediterranean
species occurring from the Aegean area to Cyprus, Anatolia, W Syria and Iran;
also in Cyrenaica and N Egypt.Rare on Crete known from only a few locations in
the east.
Flowering time:- Late Mar to early May.
Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons
