Trifolium depauperatum is a species of clover known by the common names cowbag clover, poverty clover, and balloon sack clover.
Description Trifolium depauperatum is a small annual herb growing upright or decumbent in form. The leaves are made up of oval leaflets up to long which are smooth, toothed, lobed, or blunt-tipped. The inflorescence is a head of flowers up to 1.5 cm long. The flower has a pinkish purple white-tipped corolla up to 1 cm long. It becomes inflated as the fruit develops.
Subspecies Trifolium depauperatum has several varieties, which can include: Trifolium depauperatum var. amplectens — Balloon sack clover, Pale bladder clover.Calflora: Trifolium depauperatum var. amplectens Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum — Cowbag clover. Calflora: Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum Trifolium depauperatum var. hydrophilum Trifolium depauperatum var. truncatum — Dwarf sack clover. Calflora: Trifolium depauperatum var. truncatum
Distribution and habitat The plant is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, as well as to western South America in Peru and Chile. It is a common plant of many types of habitat, including coastal prairie and mixed evergreen forest.Calflora: Trifolium depauperatum
References
External links Calflora Database: Trifolium depauperatum (Cowbag clover, Dwarf sack clover, Pale sack clover) Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Trifolium depauperatum
UC CalPhotos gallery: Trifolium depauperatum