Trifolium pratense L.

Perennial; stems sparsely hairy below, moderately or densely hairy in upper parts, erect or decumbent, not rooting at nodes. Lvs usually moderately hairy on petioles and undersurface of leaflets, ± glabrous or sparsely hairy on uppersurface; petioles up to c. 200 mm long; leaflets ovate, elliptic or obovate, usually obtuse, sometimes acute or slightly emarginate, rarely shortly mucronate, cuneate to obtuse at base, usually ± entire, usually with a crescentic spot toward base, c. 15-40 mm long; lateral veins thin and ± straight or somewhat recurved and thickened toward leaflet margin; petiolules 1-2 mm long, ± equal; stipules ovate-oblong, acuminate. Infls terminal, spicate, globose to ovoid, usually sessile, ± = or > subtending lvs; fls numerous, sessile; bracts 0, but an involucre present at base of infl. only and stipules of subtending lvs partly enfolding young infl. Calyx moderately hairy, 10-veined, not inflated at fruiting; throat open, with a ring of hairs; calyx teeth unequal, much < corolla, triangular with linear apex, spreading at fruiting; upper teeth ± = tube; lowest tooth up to 1.5-2× as long as other 4, much > tube; sinuses narrowly obtuse. Corolla pink, purple-pink or rarely cream, persistent, 10-16 mm long. Pod glabrous, straight, < calyx, thickened at apex, 2-3 mm long, 1-seeded; seeds c. 2 mm diam., with a blunt projection on one side.

It is a temperate plant. It suits high rainfall areas. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 3,000-3,800 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 6-9. Tasmania Herbarium.

The leaves are cooked and eaten. The leaves and the flowers are dried and can also be added to salads. (It is not wise to eat too many.) A tea can be made from the flowers collected in the early morning. The flowers are also sucked. The sprouted seeds are eaten. CAUTION: It contains oestrogen-like isoflavones. It should not be eaten by women who are pregnant or by nursing mothers.

Plants can be grown by seed.