Trifolium hydrophilum

Saline clover

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Saline clover is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in the Sacramento Valley, northwestern San Joaquin Valley, and central western California in salt marshes and open alkaline areas at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers in compact heads approximately 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide. Growing as a generally fleshy annual with low-spreading stems, it has a compact and succulent appearance. Its leaves are composed of three leaflets, typically showing adaptations to saline environments with thick, fleshy textures. The tiny flowers have distinctive striate (striped) corollas measuring 6.5 to 9 millimeters long, nestled within involucre bracts that are less than 1 millimeter and basally fused.

Habitat: Salt marshes, open areas in alkaline soils

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: ScV, nw SnJV, CW.

California counties: San Joaquin, Solano, Alameda, Santa Clara, Napa, San Luis Obispo, Lake, Yolo, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.