Trifolium depauperatum
Cowbag clover
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Trifolium depauperatum (Cowbag clover) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by Small glabrous annual clover; corolla pink-purple, white-tipped; banner INFLATED/bladdery in fruit.
Cowbag clover is a California native annual herb found in various bioregions, typically growing in grassland and open habitats. Flowering from March to June, this small clover produces delicate pink-purple flowers with white tips in compact head-like clusters approximately 0.5 to 1 centimeter wide. Growing with decumbent to erect stems, the plant reaches a generally small stature with thin, spreading growth. Its leaves feature three leaflets each 0.5 to 2 centimeters long, narrowly oblong to obovate, with truncate tips and occasionally toothed edges. The distinctive banner of its corolla becomes inflated in fruit, creating a unique profile for this diminutive clover.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Small glabrous annual clover; corolla pink-purple, white-tipped; banner INFLATED/bladdery in fruit
Habitat and range
California counties: Ventura, Butte, Amador, Calaveras, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Tuolumne, Fresno, Placer, San Joaquin, Alameda, Lake, Tehama, Humboldt, Madera, Sonoma, Tulare, Riverside, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Shasta, San Diego, Solano, Yolo, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Santa Clara, Colusa, Trinity, Sutter, Yuba, Monterey, San Bernardino, Kern, El Dorado, Merced, Stanislaus
How to tell it apart
vs Medicago: Trifolium flowers persist around fruits; Medicago flowers fall off leaving exposed coiled fruits.; vs Oxalis: Trifolium has pea-shaped flowers; wood-sorrels (Oxalis) have 5-petaled star-shaped flowers and heart-notched leaflets.; vs Melilotus: Trifolium flowers persist enclosing fruits; Melilotus flowers fall off leaving exposed ridged pods.; vs Castilleja: Trifolium has pea flowers and 3 toothed leaflets; paintbrush (Castilleja) has tubular flowers in colorful bracts.; vs Acmispon: Trifolium leaflets have toothed edges; Acmispon leaflets have smooth untoothed margins.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trifolium depauperatum native to California?
Yes. Trifolium depauperatum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Trifolium depauperatum grow?
Trifolium depauperatum occurs in Ventura, Butte, Amador, Calaveras, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Tuolumne, Fresno and other counties.
What plant family does Trifolium depauperatum belong to?
Trifolium depauperatum is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Trifolium depauperatum var. amplectens — Pale sack clover
- Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum — Dwarf sack clover
- Trifolium depauperatum var. truncatum — Truncate sack clover
- Trifolium dichotomum — Branched indian clover
- Trifolium dubium — Little hop clover
- Trifolium eriocephalum subsp. eriocephalum — Hairy head clover
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.