THE CLOVERS 



273 



of growth, and the plant is noted for the large amount of 

 nitrogen gathered during its short life. The main stem, 

 like that of red clover, does not grow very tall, but gives 

 off numerous branches or stools, sometimes as many as 

 100 being given off from a single plant. The stems or 

 stools give off but few branches and vary from 1 to 3 feet 

 in height, giving the plant a bushy appearance. The leaves 

 and stems are covered with an abundance of fine hairs. 

 The flowering head is car- 

 ried at the apex of the 

 branches, and, unlike those 

 of red clover, they are 

 some little distance above 

 the topmost leaf. The 

 flowering head is elongated 

 or cone shaped, and from 

 1 to 2 inches long. The 

 flowers are usually scarlet 

 or crimson in color, which 

 gives to the plant its most 

 common name. Certain 

 varieties, although they 

 are not commonly grown, have white or yellow flowers. 

 The flowers at the base of the head open first and those 

 at the apex are the last to bloom. The seeds are larger 

 than those of the other clovers described in this chapter, 

 and may be easily distinguished from them by their 

 globular shape and yellow or straw color. 



274. Adaptation and distribution. Crimson clover 

 is a tender plant and does not thrive in latitudes having 

 cold winters. It is easily killed by hard freezing, and for 

 this reason cannot be generally grown excepting in places 

 of mild winter. In the United States, it is grown exten- 



FIG. 98. A crimson clover plant. 



