Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum
Dwarf sack clover, Dwarf Sack Clover
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum (Dwarf sack clover) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by vestigial involucre and inflated banner.
Dwarf sack clover is a California native annual found in the North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range Foothills, northern and central Sierra Nevada, Great Valley, and San Francisco Bay Area in wet meadows, grasslands, and roadsides at elevations below 900 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces tiny, delicate flowers with pale white to pink petals clustered in compact, rounded heads. Growing with slender stems 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms low-spreading clumps in moist, heavy soils. Its leaves have three small leaflets that are occasionally notched or slightly lobed at the tips, creating a delicate, lacy appearance. The fruit develops slightly longer than the flower's style, with a short stalk-like base supporting two to four small seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 50 sympatric species; key features are vestigial involucre and inflated banner
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, grassland, roadsides, open spring-moist, heavy soils
Elevation: < 900 m
California counties: San Joaquin, Butte, Calaveras, Placer, Sacramento, Tehama, Shasta, Colusa, Plumas, Sonoma, Nevada, Sutter, Mendocino, Yuba, Merced, Napa, Tuolumne, Fresno, Humboldt, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Stanislaus, Amador, Madera, Alameda, Marin, Lake, San Mateo, Solano, Siskiyou, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Modoc, Mariposa, Yolo, El Dorado, Monterey
Outside California: to British Columbia, Chile
Bloom period
Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum blooms Mar-May.
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 var. depauperatum native to California?
Yes. Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum bloom?
Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum grow?
Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum occurs in San Joaquin, Butte, Calaveras, Placer, Sacramento, Tehama, Shasta, Colusa and other counties, at elevations of < 900 m.
What plant family does Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum belong to?
Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
What habitat does Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum grow in?
Trifolium depauperatum var. depauperatum grows in Wet meadows, grassland, roadsides, open spring-moist, heavy soils.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.