Trifolium campestreSchreb. subsp. campestre var. campestre - Hop Trefoil
Scientific Description:
Ascending or prostrate annual, 10−30 cm. Leaflets 0.8−1.6 cm, rhombic to obovate, the terminal one stalked. Inflorescence 0.8−1.3 cm wide, globose, many flowered. Flowers pale to bright yellow, rarely purple; pedicels shorter than the calyx, soon deflexing. Calyx glabrous or rarely slightly hairy, 1.5−2.0 mm. Corolla (4−)5−7 mm, standard not folded.
Flowering time: February−April(−September).
Habitat: Fields, waste places etc., s.l.−2200 m.
Reference:
Zohary M (1970). Trifolium campestre Schreb., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 3: 404.
Public Description:
Trifolium campestre, common name “hop trefoil”, is native to Europe and western Asia. The species name “campestre” means "of the fields". That is, it had this name due to it is commanly seen as a field weed. It is a herbaceous annual plant, growing to 30 cm tall, with distinctive yellow flowerheads. Hop trefoil is an important clover in agriculture because its foliage is good for feeding livestock and replenishing soil. It is not generally planted, but is considered a valuable herb when found growing in a pasture.
References:
Anonymous (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifolium_campestre/, Accessed date: 13.02.2016.
Keskin M (2012). Trifolium L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 488−498.