Clover
| Clover | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Trifolium repens (white clover) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Clade: | Inverted repeat-lacking clade |
| Tribe: | Trifolieae |
| Genus: | Trifolium L. |
| Subgenera and sections | |
|
List
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
List
| |
Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus Trifolium (from Latin tres 'three' and folium 'leaf'). They are herbaceous plants growing up to 30 cm (12 in) tall. The leaves are usually trifoliate and the small flowers are reddish to white or yellow. Related genera with similar common names include Melilotus (sweet clover) and Medicago (burclover).
The genus consists of about 300 species in the legume family, Fabaceae. Originating in Europe, the genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. A number of wild and domestic animals consume the plants. Clovers have been cultivated by humans for over 1,000 years, valued for their nitrogen fixation, which fertilizes the soil and bolsters the productivity of rotated crops.
Some forms of the plant are culturally significant, including the shamrock, used to represent Ireland, and the four-leaf clover, associated with good luck. Specimens with other numbers of leaflets have been found, the record high of 63 being recorded in 2023.