Trifolium fragiferum

Trifolium fragiferum, the strawberry clover,^[2][3] is a herbaceous perennial plant species in the bean family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. It is present in other places, such as sections of North America, as an introduced species. It is also cultivated as a cover crop and for hay and silage, as green manure, and as a bee plant.

Trifolium fragiferum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Trifolium
Species:	T. fragiferum
Binomial name
Trifolium fragiferum L.
Varieties[1]
Trifolium fragiferum var. fragiferum Trifolium fragiferum var. orthodon Zohary
Synonyms
List Amoria fragifera (L.) Roskov (1990) Galearia fragifera (L.) C.Presl (1831) Xerosphaera fragifera (L.) Soják (1985)

Description

Section across the flowerhead

Strawberry clover is a perennial herb with tough roots. It typically grows about 10 cm tall but the much-branched stems can reach 40 cm in length, rooting at the nodes to form patches up to 80 cm across. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems, with a short (15 mm) petiole and a narrow stipules at its base, about 20 mm long. Each leaf has three oval leaflets, each about 20 mm x 10 mm, with prominent veins that reach the edge of the leaflet at the tips of the pointed teeth. The whole plant is glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Leaves of strawberry clover, showing the distinctive veins

The inflorescences arise from the leaf axils and have numerous small flowers clustered into a round head up to about 15 mm in diameter. The peduncles are up to 20 mm long, while the pedicels of the individual flowers very short. At the base of the flowerhead are involucral bracts about 2 mm long, and at the base of each flower another tiny bract about 0.5 mm long. The flowers (corollas) are white, turning pink, 7 mm long, with 10 stamens and 1 style. The fruit is particularly distinctive; the calyx ripening to form a pinkish ball with a reticulate surface somewhat resembling a strawberry. Each fruit (of which there are many in each flowerhead) contains 2 small, brown seeds about 1.5 mm long.^[4]

Uses

Strawberry clover is cultivated as a cover crop and for hay and silage, as green manure, and as a bee plant.^[5][6] It is good for cover on flood-prone lands or areas with soil salinity. It is known as a weed in some areas.^[7] Several agricultural cultivars have been developed, including 'Salina', 'Palestine', and 'Fresa'.^[5]