Berseem Clover, seedling
PLANT INFO
Common Name
| Berseem Clover |
Popular Name(s)
| |
Scientific Name
| Trifolium alexandrinum |
Family Name
|
Fabaceae
|
Type
| Legume |
Longevity
|
Annual
|
Origin
|
Exotic
|
PLANT PHOTOS
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Whole Plant (Growth Form) Characteristics
|
Can reach 80 cm tall, erect
|
Leaf Characteristics
|
Oblong, hairy, 4-5 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, alternate, pointed stipules with red and green veination
|
Stem Characteristics
|
Hollow, succulent, hairy, branching from the base, erect
|
Flower and Flowering Head Characteristics
|
Elliptical head of clustered flowers, 2 cm head, cream to yellow, terminal
|
Fruit Characteristics
|
One-seeded pod
|
Seed Characteristics
|
Suborbicular to obovoid, 2 mm long, white to purplish-red, seed coat is initially dull and becomes shiny with exposure
|
Other Notable Visual Characteristics
| |
Look-A-Likes
|
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa): Berseem clover has whitish-yellow flowers, alfalfa has pink flowers
|
HABITAT AND PHENOLOGY
Habitat
|
Some drought and flooding tolerance, prefers fertile loamy to clay soils
|
Plant Emergence Time
|
May-June (after late frost)
|
Flowering Period
|
Early August
|
Fruit / Seed Period
|
Mid-Late October
|
FUNCTIONAL VALUE
Food Value
| |
Toxins
| |
Cultural Value
| |
Pollinator Value
|
Bees, buttterflies
|
Other Modern Uses
|
Pasture, hay, silage, soil nutrient improvement, cover crop
|