Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 769 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Star clover.

Description:
Annual, stems to 35 (usually 8-20) cm long, erect or ascending, simple or branched from the base, with dense patent hairs; leaves on long or short petioles with subsessile obcordate leaflets 8-12 mm long and denticulate towards the apex; stipules ovate or obovate, foliaceous, to 1 cm long, subobtuse or subacute, the margins and veins bright-green.

Flowers few (to 10), shortly pedicellate in globular terminal heads 15-25 (-30 in fruit) mm across on peduncles 5-100 mm long, with appressed or patent hairs; calyx campanulate; tube villous, c. 4 mm long, 10-nerved; teeth about twice as long as the tube, rigid, triangular, with a subulate-acuminate apex, spreading stellately at maturity so as to form large bristly heads, 3-veined, often blackish internally contrasting with the white-woolly hair-tuft which almost closes the throat; corolla 8-12 mm long, pink, rarely purple or yellow, about equalling the calyx.

Pod inserted, obovate, to 3 mm long, scarious, 1-seeded; seed ovoid, c. 2 mm long, brown, smooth.

	Trifolium stellatum. Twig, flower and calyx with infructescence.
Image source: fig. 354d in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Distribution:  S.Aust.: KI, SE.   W.Aust.; Vic.; Tas.; native to the Mediterranean. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Oct. — Dec.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available