SPECIES DESCRIPTION
TRIFOLIUM FRAGIFERUM
Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE/Subgen. LOTOIDES/Sect.
Common Names:- Strawberry clover
Homotypic Synonyms:- Amoria fragifera, Galearia fragifera, Xerosphaera
fragifera.
Meaning:- Trifolium (L) With three leaflets.
Fragiferum (L) Strawberry-bearing.
General description:- A low, prostrate and creeping, somewhat hairy perennial.
Stem:-
1) (2-)10-30(-40) cm, several, procumbent, often rooting at the nodes.
Leaves:-
1) Leaflets, (3-)8-20 mm; broadly elliptical, obtuse, subglabrous, lateral veins
numerous, forked and somewhat anastomosing towards the margin, produced
into minute, curved teeth.
2) Stipules, lance-shaped to subulate, membranous.
Flowers:-
1) Heads, 10-14 mm wide, hemispherical in flower, 10-22(-35) mm, globose,
ellipsoid or irregularly cylindrical in fruit.
2) Peduncles, up to 200 mm, often hairy, exceeding the leaves.
3) Bracts, 3-4 mm, whorled, the lowest ones united below, forming a deeply
dissected, irregular involucre.
4) Calyx, 2-lipped, the upper lip much inflated, villous and reticulate-veined in fruit.
5) Corolla, 6-8 mm, pale pinkish, persistent and dark brown in fruit.
6) Fruiting heads subglobose and often pink,
Fruit:-
1) Legume, included, 1- to 2-seeded.
Key features:-
1) Bracts, 3-4 mm, ± united below into an irregular involucre.
Habitat:- Damp meadows, by ditches, field margins, ruderal habitats, seasonally
flooded dolines. 0-800(-1400) m.
Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Widespread in Europe and SW Asia.
Sporadic and limited distribution on Crete mainly around the Psiloritis and Dikti
massifs.
Flowering time:- Mid Apr to July.
Photos by:- Giorgos Pantakis & Evangelos Kotriklas
