Family |
Fabaceae
Trifolium pauciflorum
d'Urv.
Trifolium pauciflorum d'Urv.
First published in Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 350 (1822).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 288, Pl. CIX, 5; 1970)
Description
Life-form & habit: Bristly annual with spreading stems, often long, 30–50 cm.
Leaves: Stipules broadly ovate and pointed. Leaves relatively shortly stalked, with triangular leaflets shallowly notched or inversely heart-shaped at the tip.
Inflorescence & flowers: Spherical heads on short stalks, often overtopped by the adjacent leaf. Fertile flowers 5–6 in one row, bright purple-red; corolla slightly longer than the calyx. Calyx teeth bristle-like and a little shorter than the tube. Sterile flowers develop very long, flexuous, tangled, feathery but not woolly teeth.
Fruit: Smooth, membranous, flattened obovate pod enclosed in the calyx. Fruiting head about 1 cm long.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: April–June.
Habitat & elevation: Grassy places and roadsides.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Tripoli–Zghorta, Broummana, Feitroun, Mayrouba, Jezzine, Ain Zehalta–Barouk, Qraye, Roueissat, Hasroun, Qannoubine, the Cedars, Mdeireje, Baidar, Hadeth, Sannine, Baino, Tlail, Menges, Bouqeia, Ammiq, Ana, Zellaya–Yohmor and Yanta.
Syrian distribution: South of Banias, Ain Halakim, Cheikh Hisamo, Haffe–Slenfe, Nabi Younes Pass, Bassit, north of Wadi Qandil, Cassius summit, Aleppo, Babeska, Homs, Akkari–Tell Kalakh, Qalaat el Hosn, Kafer, Qanaouat and Tell Qouleib.
Recorded locations: Sannine and Tannourine.
Native range: Greece, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Türkiye and Türkiye-in-Europe.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Mouterde distinguishes this species from true Trifolium globosum L.; the name T. globosum was misapplied to it by some authors and is not presented here as a taxonomic synonym.