ADAPTATIONS 



409 



seems to have been brought to the United States with the early 

 colonists, for by 1747 it was already recognized as a wild plant in the 

 eastern States. 



Description. White clover resembles alsike in being a long- 

 lived perennial, but differs from both red clover and alsike in its 

 ability to spread by means of creeping stems. This enables it to 

 maintain itself under pasture conditions. A single plant will 

 usually spread gradually in the 

 same way that blue-grass does, till 

 it occupies considerable area. 

 Other clovers have no means of 

 spreading from the roots, and 

 usually, when the original plant 

 dies, the clover disappears. White 

 clover also has the ability to pro- 

 duce seed under pasture. The seed 

 heads will rise not more than an 

 inch or two above the surface, 

 and then turn downward so close 

 to the ground that they are not 

 eaten off in the grazing. A con- 

 siderable per cent of the seed is 

 hard, and remains in the ground 

 for one or more years before ger- 

 minating. It sometimes occurs 

 that white clover will almost dis- 

 appear from a pasture during a 

 series of dry, unfavorable years; FlG - 177 -~ white clover - 



but will usually return quickly with more favorable seasons. The 

 fact that a certain amount of the seed is hard and remains dormant 

 probably assists it to return. 



Adaptations. White clover probably has even a wider soil and 

 climatic adaptation than alsike. This would be especially true 

 toward the warmer and drier regions. While both red clover and 

 alsike will summer-kill in the cotton belt, white clover will survive, 

 and is therefore of considerable importance as a pasture plant in the 



