34 WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA 



The flowers are usually showy, ranging in color through many shades of blue and 

 purple to yellows, pinks and whites. Individual florets show the characteristic 

 corolla parts with standard, wings and keel, as seen in the garden or sweet pea. 

 The inflorescence is in terminal sprays or series of whorls varying greatly in size, 

 number of florets and density. The seeds are in pods. 



None of the lupines interferes seriously with the cultural operations of the 

 farmer, and the foliage of many is much sought after by stock, especially sheep, 

 providing nutritious forage. The ripe seeds of many of them have been known 

 to cause serious losses of stock by poisoning, causing a disease termed by veter- 

 inarians, lupinosis. 



Europeans use some of the species for green manuring. The seeds of the 

 European species are utilized for food for stock and humans, but only after the 

 poisonous principle has been removed by boiling. 



Many of the Calif ornian species have been introduced as ornamentals, especially 

 in European gardens. 



The different species are found at all altitudes, ranging from the ocean sands 

 to the summits of the lofty peaks of the Sierras. The shrubby lupine, Lupinns 

 arborcus, has been instrumental in preventing the ocean sands from 'encroaching 

 upon adjacent lands. The species of the genus are difficult to differentiate and the 

 treatment of them in botanical literature is at the present time unsatisfactory. An 

 attempt to list them here without much detailed study would only lead to confusion. 



A list of the species on exhibit will be furnished bv the Committee under 

 No. 420 A-Z. 



TRUE CLOVERS TRIFOLIUM 



421. True Clovers. 



The genus Trifolium comprises from 300 to 400 species, depending upon the 

 judgment of the botanist dealing with them as to what characters are necessary 

 in defining a species. Of these 115 belong to Europe, 100 to North America, 17 

 to South America, 71 to Asia, 32 to Africa, 18 to Australia, and 15 to Mexico. 



The North American species are to be found chiefly in the Rocky Mountains 

 and westward, only about six species being found in the Atlantic States. Cali- 

 fornia has something like fifty or one-half the total number. Many of them are 

 found only in California. The species of the coast ranges and the interior valleys 

 are mostly winter annuals, while those of the Sierras and cooler parts of the State 

 are mostly perennials. 



The species commonly grown for forage, such as red clover, white Dutch 

 clover, alsike clover and crimson clover, are indigenous to Europe. It is interesting 

 to note that none of our native species has been been introduced into cultivation. 



The leaves consist usually of three leaflets, although some species have as many 

 as eight leaflets. The flowers are arranged in heads and consist of many florets 

 closely or remotely placed on an axis. A common high mountain meadow species 

 is T. monanthum with only one or two florets. In color they vary from white and 

 yellow to pink, purple and red. 



An interesting group of species particularly frequent on the Pacific coast is to 

 be recognized by the inflation of the standard after flowering into a bladdery 

 structure, T. jucatum. 



Another group has flower heads that might be likened to a rabbit's foot, being 

 densely clothed with silky hairs, T. Macraei. 



Still another group is interesting because the head or floret rests on an invo- 

 lucre or cup which is variously lobed or divided on the margin, T. variegatum. 

 One species with very large and beautiful reddish flowers is found among the sage- 

 brush on the eastern side of the Sierras, T. macroccplialuin. Another in the same 

 general region has such strong fibrous roots that it has been termed Indian shoe- 

 string clover, T. Andcrsonii. A very rare and beautiful species of the high Sierras 

 is T. Bolanderi. 



Many of the species are important range forage plants, sometimes forming dense 

 meadows in the mountains and excluding all other plants. The leafage of some 

 was used by the Indians like greens and the seeds of others were gathered and 

 ground into meal. None of them are poisonous or objectionable as weeds. 



Space will not permit treating of the many species in detail. A list of the 

 species on exhibit will be prepared under No. 421 A-Z. 



