Do you know this clover?

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In the summertime, you can find clover in meadows, along paths, or in fields. It comes in red, yellow, or white varieties. However, the diversity of clover species is much greater than many people realize. In this story, we want to introduce you to six different representatives of the plant genus Trifolium, which are widespread in large parts of Europe. We hope this encourages you to take a closer look the next time you come across a “clover” on your next walk. This story is the result of a school internship, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Maike for her research and writing.

Red meadow clover (Trifolium pratense)
Red meadow clover or red clover Trifolium pratense can be found everywhere: in gardens, meadows, forests and along roadsides and field edges. Thanks to its attractive red to purple flowers, which are full of nectar, the red meadow clover is sought out by many butterflies, such as the lady butterfly, as a food source and also as a caterpillar plant. It flowers from April to October, forming a multi-flowered spherical inflorescence covered by the uppermost stem leaves. This type of clover is rich in protein, making it a popular food plant. Additionally, red meadow clover is edible for humans and has earned a reputation as a medicinal plant. It has been used internally and externally for a variety of ailments since the 11th century.

White clover (Trifolium repens)
White clover Trifolium repens, like all the other species presented here, belongs to the legume family and the papilionaceous subfamily. Its flowers and leaves are similar to those of red clover, except that the flowers have a (eponymous) white color. Each of the 40-80 individual flowers in the inflorescence produces 3 to 4 seeds, which are egg-shaped to roundish and orange-yellow. The four-leaf clovers, which are considered lucky charms, are rarely found among wild plants. However, there is a cultivated variety for gardens and balcony boxes, the “four-leaved chocolate clover” (Trifolium repens ‘Quadrifolium Purpureum’), which is easy to care for and is predominantly four-leaved.

Small clover (Trifolium dubium)
This species is widespread throughout Europe. It can be found in meadows, pastures or garden lawns. Its yellow flower turns brownish when the fruit ripens. The small clover Trifolium dubium is considered a forage plant and is often visited by insects such as bumblebees for pollination. If you only take a quick glance, you could confuse it with Medicago lupulina – in this case, identification with Flora Incognita or examination of the calyx will help. The calyx of the small clover is glabrous, while that of the hop clover is hairy.

Field clover (Trifolium campestre)
This member of the family has small, yellowish, shell-like flowers. Known as “butterfly flowers with a folding mechanism,” they have areas that absorb ultraviolet light and others that reflect it. This makes them appear two-colored to pollinators such as honeybees, flies, or butterflies. The field clover Trifolium campestre thrives on sandy, loamy, or stony soils, as well as on meager meadows, where it is considered a fodder plant. It avoids nitrogen-rich subsoils, making it an indicator plant for nitrogen-poor soil.

Mountain clover (Trifolium montanum)
Mountain clover Trifolium montanum is found throughout Europe, but can also climb to high altitudes – which gave it its name. For example, it can be found on the Jöchelspitze in Tyrol at an altitude of 2226 m, and in Valais in Switzerland it has been observed at 2560 m. Due to its white to yellowish-white flower color and the typical round shape of the inflorescences, it is easy to confuse with the more common white clover. However, the mountain clover grows more upright and has a hairy stem and longer, lanceolate leaves. Its habitat requirements are also different. White clover is a generalist, but mountain clover grows on semi-arid and dry grassland in warm locations with clayey-humus soils.

Incarnate clover (Trifolium incarnatum)
The incarnate clover Trifolium incarnatum is also known as Italian clover, as its original distribution area covers the Mediterranean region, including Italy. Today, however, it can also be found in Germany, mainly in areas without spring frosts, as it does not tolerate them well; and it is cultivated as a popular forage plant in large parts of Europe. The leaves of the incarnate clover are very large for a clover species, but its most striking feature is probably its flower color. The deep purple-red flower heads, which are elongated spikes in this species, appear from May to August.

This article was featured as a story in the Flora Incognita app in 2024. In the plant identification app, you will always find exciting information about plants, ecology, species knowledge, as well as tips and tricks for plant identification. Take a look!

Calthion palustris – The German Plant Community of the Year

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The plant community of the year

Wet meadows on nutrient-rich soils used to be home to species-rich and colorful marsh marigold meadows. However, today, these large areas of wet grassland are being drained or turned into intensive grassland and fields. The Calthion communities support numerous endangered animal and plant species and provide a habitat for countless insects, spiders, and birds. To support their protection and restoration measures, these communities have been selected by the “Floristic-Sociological Working Group” as Plant Community of the Year in 2024. You can recognize them by the following key species:

Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)

The marsh marigold Caltha palustris belongs to the buttercup family and is widespread in Europe, Asia and North America. Depending on the location, it can grow to a height of 15-60 cm and displays its bright yellow, nectar- and pollen-rich flowers from March. Depending on the location, the flowering period can last until June, and occasionally a second flowering occurs at the end of summer. Typical locations are springs, streams and water-filled ditches, but if you are looking for the Calthion communities, look for wet meadows. There you may also find the other representatives of the community.

Marsh hawk’s-beard (Crepis paludosa)

This yellow-flowered composite plant usually grows to around 30-80 cm tall, but can also reach over a meter in exceptional cases. Finding Crepis paludosa alone does not indicate a Calthion association, as the species is widespread in Germany and only rare in dry areas. Bees, flies and moths pollinate its flowers, which sit on a thin stem above large, serrated leaves. If you find the following species in addition to the two just presented, you have probably found the right location.

Water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)

From May to September, you can see the 15-80 cm tall, herbaceous Myosotis scorpioides with their hairy leaves in sky-blue bloom. They either stand upright or lean towards the ground, where they can form stolons above ground. The yellow ring (a so-called sap ring) inside the flower is intended to attract pollinators. At the base of the flower, nectar is offered to insects that have a long proboscis, such as many moths, bees and some flies. These flying insects are also often found on:

Bistort (Bistorta officinalis)

Bistorta officinalis can grow between 20 and 100 cm tall. Its pink inflorescences are visible from afar between May and June and attract a large number of pollinators. This species is the preferred food plant for the caterpillars of the blue iridescent fritillary butterfly and the marginal ringed fritillary. It owes its name to its strong rhizome, which is twisted in an S-shape. The genus name Bistorta can also be translated as “twice twisted”. If its habitat becomes dry, it withdraws into this rhizome and survives until it is moist enough to successfully sprout again.

Cabbage thistle (Cirsium oleraceum)

Cabbage thistle meadows are a typical characteristic of Calthion communities. Here, the eponymous  Cirsium oleraceum forms stands. It can reach heights of up to 170 cm and stands out due to its very large but soft and non-prickly leaves. Between June and October, it produces two to six inflorescences per plant, which stand in thistle-like flower heads surrounded by yellow-green, thorny bracts. These are pollinated by bumblebees and their seeds are ultimately spread by birds such as finches, tits and crossbills.

Rushes, sedges and grasses

Of course, marsh marsh meadows are also home to grasses, rudges and sedges. Even if these are not characterized by conspicuous, colourful flowers, they are of great importance for the plant community as a habitat. So to be sure that you have found a *Calthion* community, the following character species should be present: smooth brome Bromus racemosus, common rush Juncus effusus, wood clubrush Scirpus sylvaticus and the sharp-flowering rush Juncus acutiflorus.

Other species

In addition to the characteristic species presented and the typical grasses, other plant species also occur in Calthion communities, which will not be presented individually here. But a click on the link will take you to the respective profile. The broad-leaved marsh orchid Dactylorhiza majalis is quite common in the (few) locations where it occurs. It is one of the orchids that is most tolerant of nutrient input. In addition, the big trefoil Lotus pedunculatus, Cirsium rivulare and water ragwort Senecio aquaticus are among the characteristic species of marsh marigold meadows.

A new badge for you!

If you want to read this message, you have to find 15 of the characteristic species of this plant community. We have just introduced most of them, and we hope that you will now walk through the next wet meadow with your eyes wide open. Of course, the locations of this plant community are rare, so you can also earn the badge if you find the species individually and identify them with Flora Incognita.

Cover picture: Marsh marigold meadow, S. Schneider, tuexenia

 

 

This article was featured as a story in the Flora Incognita app in 2024. In the plant identification app, you will always find exciting information about plants, ecology, species knowledge, as well as tips and tricks for plant identification. Take a look!