Middle clover

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Middle clover
Middle clover (Trifolium medium)

Middle clover ( Trifolium medium )

Systematics
Order : Fabales (Fabales)
Family : Legumes (Fabaceae)
Subfamily : Butterflies (Faboideae)
Genre : Clover ( trifolium )
Section : Trifolium
Type : Middle clover
Scientific name
Trifolium medium
L.

The middle clover ( Trifolium medium ), also known as the zigzag clover , is a species of plant from the subfamily of the butterflies (Faboideae) within the legume family (Fabaceae) that is widespread in Central Europe . It is placed within the genre in the Trifolium section , Intermedia subsection .

description

Pollination by a dark bumblebee ( Bombus terrestris )
Stipules and typical zigzag pattern of the stem axis

The middle clover is a perennial , herbaceous plant that reaches heights of between 30 and 50 cm. The bare to scattered hairy stem grows ascending and is usually bent back and forth ("zigzag clover"). It is often reddish or dashed.

The 1.5 to 5 cm long and 0.8 to 2 cm wide leaves are elliptical in shape. At their base grow lanceolate, narrowed and ciliate stipules.

As a rule, a plant has only a single, spherical head, usually 2 to 3 cm wide and 3 cm long, which usually has no shell at the bottom. At first it sits directly on the stem, later it has a short stalk. The 15 to 18 mm long crown is colored purple, very rarely white. The bald, greenish-white calyx is ten-nerved and almost closed by a two-lipped, hairy ring bulge. The calyx teeth are more or less densely ciliated and unequal in length.

The middle clover blooms mainly in the months of June to August. It can be confused with the meadow clover in particular .

The species has chromosome numbers 2n = 78 or 79, 80, 82, 84.

Distribution and location requirements

The middle clover occurs all over Europe. To the east, it is distributed as far as Siberia and the Middle East .

The species is widespread in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and can usually be found frequently. Only in northwest Germany is it missing in parts.

Trifolium medium grows in semi-arid grasslands and dry bush communities. It prefers warm, nutrient-rich, calcareous and loamy substrates. It is a Trifolion medii association character, but also occurs in societies of the order Prunetalia or the association Potentillo Quercion petraeae. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises on the southwest ridge of the Heiterberg in Vorarlberg to an altitude of 2100 m.

literature

  • Henning Haeupler, Thomas Muer: picture atlas of the fern and flowering plants of Germany . Ed .: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (=  The fern and flowering plants of Germany . Volume 2 ). Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3364-4 .
  • Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald, Raimund Fischer: Excursion flora of Austria . Ed .: Manfred A. Fischer. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart / Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3461-6 .
  • Christian Heitz: School and excursion flora for Switzerland. Taking into account the border areas. Identification book for wild growing vascular plants . Founded by August Binz. 18th completely revised and expanded edition. Schwabe & Co., Basel 1986, ISBN 3-7965-0832-4 .
  • Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora . With the collaboration of Theo Müller. 6th, revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1990, ISBN 3-8001-3454-3 .
  • Konrad von Weihe (ed.): Illustrated flora. Germany and neighboring areas. Vascular cryptogams and flowering plants . Founded by August Garcke. 23rd edition. Paul Parey, Berlin / Hamburg 1972, ISBN 3-489-68034-0 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001. Page 596. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5
  2. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 134.

Web links

Commons : Mitteler Klee ( Trifolium medium )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files