Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: clover

Until I became interested in macro photography, I thought that clover flowers were nothing special. I also thought there was just one kind of clover. Silly me! :D When I studied this flower up close, I was amazed at its elegant and detailed beauty. And, when I looked in my wildflower books, I was surprised to find that--just in this area alone--there are lots of different species of clover flowers! I think they are fantastic and love the opportunity to take pictures of them!

A couple of days ago I mentioned that I've found many species of clover on our property, and here's another one! Researching each of the flowers I've found has really opened my eyes to the enormous varieties of flowers such as clover...I thought there was just one! Silly me! :D Small-head Clover is native to the Pacific Northwest and was first identified by the Lewis and Clark Expeidition on July 1 or 2, 1806 in Montana. This species is not cultivated as meadow forage but the leaves are edible. If you would like more information on this lovely flower, Wiki has a page here: Wiki: Small-head Clover (Trifolium microcephalum)

My, oh my, are there a lot of different clover species out there! In fact, there are over 300, and I've found at least 5 types on our property. What's difficult is figuring out exactly which species each one is, but I'm pretty sure this is a Tomcat! :) This species grows in the western United States grows in all types of environments, from wet to desert-conditions. Unlike a number of other species that grow in this area, this species is not cultivated for livestock fodder, probably because the flowers are so small.

When I first studied this flower on my computer, I thought at first that it was a tiny Sweet Pea because its blossom looks so similar. But...Sweet Peas don't have three-lobed leaves like this does....so, then I thought it was some kind of clover, because its leaves seem just like those we all know as the shamrock. But clover blossoms don't look anything like this! So confusing!! However, after a lot of looking in my books, I finally discovered its identity! It's a species of Trefoil, which means "three-leaved plant"! :D And in fact, it is related to clover, but in a different genus. The tiny Birdsfoot Trefoil is native to Eurasia and North Africa but can be found all over North America, where it has been cultivated as a nutritious food for livestock. It's also an important nectar source for insects and a food source for larval insects. This plant is considered to be an invasive species in both North America and Australia, and here's an interesting fact: this little beauty is tasty for livestock, but it contains cyanogenic glycosides and is poisonous to humans! Finally, this flower is a symbol for revenge or retribution. If you would like to know more about this flower, Wiki has a great source here: Wiki: Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

This tiny little blossom is only about 1/8" in height, and if you notice, the leaves of this plant look just like a clover's leaves! That's because they are very closely related! We have many species in the clover family on our property, and it was such a big surprise to realize that there isn't just (lol) one kind of clover in the world! :D There are over 300 species, in fact! :D