How to identify Lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium)

How to identify Lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium)

Lesser trefoil, also known as Little hop clover, Yellow Shamrock, Lesser hop trefoil

Lesser trefoil is a small, low-growing herbaceous plant with trifoliate leaves, which means each leaf is composed of three oval-shaped leaflets approximately 0.4 inches (1 cm) long. The stems are slender and may creep along the ground. It produces tiny, yellow pea-like flowers that are clustered together, creating a delicate display from late spring to early fall. The flowers each measure up to 0.2 inches (5 mm) across. This plant is tolerant of repeated mowing, enabling it to thrive in grassy areas.

Lifespan: Annual, Biennial

Plant Type: Herb

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Lesser trefoil

Trifoliate leaves with oval-shaped leaflets, each 0.4 inches (1 cm) long.

Small, yellow pea-like flowers clustered together, measuring up to 0.2 inches (5 mm) across.

Inconspicuous fruit retaining a single seed, enclosed within a dry calyx, 0.08 to 0.12 inches (2 to 3 mm).

Flexible stem, may lie along the ground or stand erect, thin, 0.1-0.2 inches (2.5-5 mm).

Compound leaves with 2-3 oblong leaflets, medium green with pinnate veins converging towards tip.

Detailed Traits of Lesser trefoil

Leaf Features

Lesser trefoil leaves are compound, consisting of 2 to 3 small leaflets, each around 0.4 to 0.8 inches (1 to 2 cm) long. The leaflets are oval to oblong with slightly curved margins. The upper surface is a medium green, smooth in texture, and may exhibit a mild gloss. The veins are pinnate, converging towards the leaflet tip. This trifoliate arrangement is a key identification feature, differing from other similar plants in its size and subtle curvature.

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Flower Features

The flowers of lesser trefoil are small, yellow, and appear in clusters of 3 to 15 on a raceme from May to October. Each flower boasts 5 petals and, as they mature, they transition to a yellowish-brown hue. The blooms are self-fertile, possessing both male and female reproductive structures. These characteristics particularly aid in identifying the distinctive flowers of lesser trefoil, which typically measure around 0.2 inches (5 mm) in diameter.

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Stem Features

The stem of lesser trefoil is flexible and can either lie along the ground or stand erect. It exhibits a limp or ascending posture with sparse hairs. The texture is relatively smooth, and the color tends to be green. The thickness is thin, typically around 0.1-0.2 inches (2.5-5 mm). Stems may be singular or exhibit minimal branching, crucial for identification. Its adaptability in posture is a notable characteristic of the stem.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of lesser trefoil is small and inconspicuous, typically retaining a single seed within a hardened pea-like structure. As the fruit matures, it retains a pale to dark brown coloration and possesses a smooth, tough surface. It measures approximately 0.08 to 0.12 inches (2 to 3 mm) in size. Unique to lesser trefoil, the fruit does not open to release its seed but is instead retained within the dry calyx. The fruit's simple form, encased seed, and lack of dehiscence are notable characteristics aiding in its identification.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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Lesser trefoil and Their Similar Plants

White clover vs. Lesser trefoil: What's The Difference?

White clover (Trifolium repens) is a perennial herb, one of the most cultivated species of clover. It can be found on lawns and grasslands all over the world. White clover is often cultivated as a forage plant and used for green manure in agriculture.

Red clover vs. Lesser trefoil: What's The Difference?

Red clover is widely cultivated as a fodder plant and green manure because its roots can fix nitrogen and increase the fertility of the soil. The cultivated Trifolium pratense is inevitably escaped and is now naturalized globally, including the United States and Australia. Its flowers are attractive, so it is also cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Hare's-Foot Clover vs. Lesser trefoil: What's The Difference?

Hare's-Foot Clover (Trifolium arvense) is a flowering clover species native to Europe. Hare's-Foot Clover grows on dry sandy soils, acidic and alkaline soils, and on the edges of fields. Sheep and goats graze on this species, and it can be beneficial to agriculture by adding nitrogen to the soil where it is planted.

Alsike clover vs. Lesser trefoil: What's The Difference?

The common name for Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover) comes from Alsike, a parish in Sweden. It was the place where Carl Linne, a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, first researched the plant. Indigenous to Europe and Asia, it's found on grasslands and mountainsides in areas with temperate climates.

Buffalo clover vs. Lesser trefoil: What's The Difference?

Like many native clovers of the Eastern United States, Trifolium reflexum's populations have declined considerably in the past 200 years. For this species, fire suppression is indicated as a significant cause for decline.

Carolina clover vs. Lesser trefoil: What's The Difference?

It is a small erect herbaceous annual, or sometimes biennial plant, growing to 10 to 40 cm tall. Like all clovers, it has leaves divided into three sessile leaflets, which are slender, 1 to 2 cm long and 3 to 5 mm broad, and sometimes edged with small hairs and finely serrated. The leaves have a pair of stipules at the base, often tipped in red.

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Key Facts About Lesser trefoil

Attributes of Lesser trefoil

Lifespan

Annual, Biennial

Plant Type

Herb

Plant Height

5 cm to 40 cm

Spread

1 m

Leaf Color

Green

Leaf type

Deciduous

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Scientific Classification of Lesser trefoil

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Legumes, milkworts and allies

Family

Legume

Genus

Clovers

Species

Lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium)

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Distribution Map of Lesser trefoil

Lesser trefoil is broadly established across multiple continents, found natively in a region encompassing Northern Africa, much of Europe, and parts of Western Asia. While inherently not widespread globally, lesser trefoil has been introduced to distinct areas in South America, Africa, South and East Asia, as well as Oceania. It is sometimes thought to be invasive in certain areas, potentially impacting native ecosystems, notably in parts of Oceania and East Asia.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Learn More About the Lesser trefoil

A Comprehensive Guide to Lesser trefoil How to Grow and Care for Lesser trefoil