Mountain clover, also called cow clover, is a glabrous perennial with ascending or decumbent stems.  The leaves are 3-foliate and the leaflets are oblanceolate to widely oblanceolate with finely-toothed margins.  The fairly large stipules are laciniately toothed.  The flower is in a dense globular cluster subtended by a flat, green involucre, which is broad, ± lobed and then toothed.  The numerous flowers are pea-like with white to light purple banners and purple wings and keel.  Mountain clover prefers mostly moist habitats below 8000', in montane coniferous forest and below, and occasionally in the desert.  It is variable and blooms from May to October.  These pictures were taken in the Fish Creek area of the San Bernardino Mts.

Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Trifolium 2) wormskioldii.
Pronunciation: tri-FO-lee-um worm-skee-OLD-ee-eye.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.