Low Hopclover

Low Hopclover, Large Hopclover

Trifolium campestre Schreb.

Fabaceae (Legume Family)

▲ ▼ flowering plants

▲ ▼ flowers

▲ closer view of flowering stems

▲ flower, stem details

▲ dried flowers and seed pods

▲ mature plant, showing persisting dried flowers

▲ ▼ comparisons between stems and plants of small hopclover (left) and large hopclover (right)

Large Hop Clover, Low Hopclover:

Annual or biennial weed native to Eurasia in the Legume family (Fabaceae) that is very similar to Black Medic
Has 20-40 flowers per cluster that remain on plant after flowering (black medic flowers drop after flowering)
Low hopclover’s flower “standard" petal has visible grooves on its outside and is held parallel to the “keel" petals; black medic’s flower “standard" petal does not have these grooves, and when fully open, is held perpendicular to the “keel" petals
Black medic seed pods are black; hop clover seed pods are brown
Has trifoliate leaves with petioles longer than the leaflet; center petiole is longer than petioles for two side leaflets
Has sprawling to clumping growth
Common turfgrass weed
Very similar Small Hopclover has smaller seedheads, with fewer flowers per cluster (5-18) and the petioles are shorter than the leaflets, plus center leaf petiole is the same size as the side leaflets’ petioles