Trifolium fragiferum

Trifolium fragiferum, the strawberry clover,[1][2] is a herbaceous perennial plant species in the bean family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. It is present in other places, such as sections of North America, as an introduced species. It is also cultivated as a cover crop and for hay and silage, as green manure, and as a bee plant.

Trifolium fragiferum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Trifolium
Species:
T. fragiferum
Binomial name
Trifolium fragiferum

Description

This is a perennial herb that spreads via stolons to form mats or clumps of herbage. The leaves are compound, each with three serrated oval leaflets up to 2 to 2.5 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a head of flowers around a centimeter long when first flowering. It increases in size to two centimeters as the fruits develop, the sepals becoming thin and inflated, fuzzy and pinkish in color, to resemble a strawberry[3] or raspberry.[4]

Uses

Strawberry clover is cultivated as a cover crop and for hay and silage, as green manure, and as a bee plant.[3][5] It is good for cover on flood-prone lands or areas with soil salinity. It is known as a weed in some areas.[4] Several agricultural cultivars have been developed, including 'Salina', 'Palestine', and 'Fresa'.[3]

References
  1. "Trifolium fragiferum". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  2. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. FAO Crop Profile
  4. UC Davis IPM
  5. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Archived 2010-06-10 at the Wayback Machine. University of California.


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