Flora of New Zealand Series

rough clover

Annual; stems densely hairy, procumbent to erect, not rooting at nodes. Lvs moderately to densely hairy; petioles 2-15-(25) mm long; leaflets obovate, acute to obtuse, mucronate, cuneate at base, finely serrate, c. 4-12 mm long; lateral veins distinctly recurved and thickened toward leaflet margin; petiolules < 1 mm long; ± equal; stipules ovate, acuminate. Infls axillary and terminal, spicate, ovoid or globose, sessile, mostly somewhat < subtending lf; fls numerous, sessile or subsessile; bracts 0 but stipule of subtending lf partly enfolding young infls. Calyx moderately hairy, with 10 distinct veins, not inflated at fruiting; throat open, somewhat thickened, moderately hairy; calyx teeth somewhat unequal, narrowly triangular, spreading at fruiting; lower teeth slightly <, ± =, or slightly > corolla, slightly > tube; sinuses acute. Corolla white, persistent, 4-5 mm long. Pod glabrous, straight, < calyx, c. 1.5 mm long, 1-seeded; seeds c. 1-1.5 mm diam.

N.: Bay of Islands, Auckland City, Waiheke Id, Miranda (Firth of Thames), Gisborne City, Napier, Wellington City.

W. Europe, Mediterranean to W. Asia, N. Africa 1883

Rare and local in dry and sandy waste places and coastal areas.

FL Nov.

Rough clover is similar to T. striatum and the 2 spp. are confused in early records. T. scabrum is distinguished by the thickened downward-curving lateral veins of the leaflets, and the fruiting calyx which is not thickened and has spreading calyx teeth.