Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in southern Washington; southern Washington to California, east to Montana, Utah, and Nevada.
Habitat: Meadows and forest openings at middle elevations in the mountains.
Flowers: May-July
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Villous-pubescent perennial from a thick taproot with a branched crown, the 1-several stems 2-6 dm. tall.
Leaves trifoliate, leaflets elliptic or ovate to lanceolate or almost linear, 2-7 cm. long, entire or serrulate; stipules ovate to lanceolate, 2-5 cm. long, entire.
Inflorescence of sub-globose heads 2.5-3 cm. broad, on long, mostly terminal peduncles that considerably exceed the subtending leaves; flowers pea-like, 25-80, pinkish to red, 12-17 mm. long, strongly reflexed, but the pedicels only 1 mm. long, the curvature mostly in the calyx and corolla; calyx plumose-villous, half the length of the corolla, the 5 teeth filiform, 2-4 times as long as the 10-nerved tube.
Pod 1- to 4-seeded.
Publication: Fl. N. Amer. (Torr. & A. Gray) 1(2): 313. 1838.
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var. arcuatum – woolly-head clover
Occurring in Yakima County and the Blue Mountains in Washington; southern Washington to Oregon, east to western Montana. -
var. eriocephalum – woolly-head cloover Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in south-central Washington; south-central Washington to California.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Trifolium eriocephalum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Trifolium eriocephalum checklist entry
OregonFlora: Trifolium eriocephalum information
E-Flora BC: Trifolium eriocephalum atlas page
CalPhotos: Trifolium eriocephalum photos
