Trifolium monanthum
Carpet clover
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Trifolium monanthum (Carpet clover) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family.
Carpet clover is a California native perennial found in high-elevation alpine and subalpine meadows in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at elevations between 2,000 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this small clover produces delicate white flowers with subtle lavender striations, clustered in tiny heads of 1 to 6 blooms. Growing in dense, cespitose clusters with slender or reduced stems, it forms low-growing mats characteristic of alpine environments. Its leaves are primarily basal, with small leaflets 2 to 12 millimeters long, ranging from elliptic-oblanceolate to widely obovate in shape. The plant's tiny white flowers have calyces 4 to 5 millimeters long with bristle-tipped lobes, adding to its delicate alpine charm.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated from all congeners
Habitat and range
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Fresno, Tulare, Nevada, Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Shasta, Lake, Trinity, Placer, Ventura, Kern, Sierra, Riverside, Madera, Amador, El Dorado, Butte
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 monanthum native to California?
Yes. Trifolium monanthum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Trifolium monanthum grow?
Trifolium monanthum occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Fresno, Tulare, Nevada and other counties.
What plant family does Trifolium monanthum belong to?
Trifolium monanthum is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Trifolium monanthum subsp. grantianum — Grant's carpet clover
- Trifolium monanthum subsp. monanthum — Carpet clover
- Trifolium monanthum subsp. parvum — Small carpet clover
- Trifolium monanthum subsp. tenerum — Delicate carpet clover
- Trifolium obtusiflorum — Clammy clover
- Trifolium oliganthum — Few-flowered 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.