Trifolium burchellianum Ser.

Perennial herb with a taproot; stems glabrous, or nearly so, creeping and rooting at the nodes or, less often, ascending.. Leaves glabrous or nearly so, with a well-developed free petiole; free part of stipule (in Flora area) triangular, tapering gradually to the tip, much shorter than the base; leaflets cuneate-obovate, cuneate-oblong or cuneate-elliptic, less often oblong, emarginate or, less often, truncate or rounded at the tip, up to 25(–50) by 19 mm. wide; teeth rather small; main nerves 10–15 on each side at ± 50° to the midrib.. Inflorescences many-flowered, ± globular, up to 3 cm. across; peduncle longer than subtending leaf, pilose towards the top; bracts 0–5·2 mm. long; pedicels stout, 2–2·5 mm. long, ± erect in fruit, glabrous.. Calyx glabrous except for a few hairs at the margin; tube 11-nerved, 2–3 mm. long; teeth triangular for ± 0·5 mm. at the base only, then subulate, in all 4–7 mm. long.. Corolla purple; standard 8–13 mm. long; blade of wing straight, ± oblong, its auricle less than 0·5 mm. long.. Ovary glabrous or minutely scabrid-punctate, 2(less often 3 or 4)-ovulate.. Pod ± 5 by 3 mm.. Seeds 1–2, dark brown, irregularly oval, ± 2·1 by 1·8 mm.

Occurs in lightly grazed coastal areas, roadsides, upland and highland grasslands, openings in evergreen forests, bamboo forests and moorland; at elevations up to 3,700 metres.

The flowering shoots are eaten raw.

Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.