Trifolium tomentosum L.

Annual; stems glabrous, procumbent, not rooting at nodes. Lvs glabrous or sparsely hairy about petiolules; petioles c. 10–30 mm long; leaflets obovate, acute, mucronate, cuneate at base, finely serrate, c. 5–10 mm long; lateral veins thin and ± straight to leaflet margin; petiolules up to 1 mm long, ± equal; stipules ovate, acuminate. Infls axillary, ± umbellate, globose, pedunculate or subsessile, < lvs; fls numerous, subsessile; bracts reduced, connate at base of fls. Calyx lanate on upper side and also lanate when inflated, with c. 20 rather indistinct veins, greatly inflated on upper side at fruiting; throat open, ± glabrous or sparsely hairy; calyx teeth ± equal at flowering, < corolla, < or ± = tube, inconspicuous on the inflated calyx, erect at fruiting; lower 3 teeth triangular; upper 2 teeth narrowly triangular; sinuses acute or obtuse. Corolla pink, persistent but enclosed by inflated calyx at fruiting, 3–4 mm long. Pod glabrous, straight, < calyx, 2–3 mm long, 1–2-seeded; seeds c. 1.5 mm diam.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Oct.–Feb.