Trifolium piorkowskii

Maverick clover

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Maverick clover is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in scattered locations in the central Coast Ranges and northern Sierra Nevada foothills in vernal pools, stream banks, and volcanic flats with blue oak and chaparral at elevations of 300 to 800 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces creamy white to pinkish flowers in compact heads with 3 to 19 blooms. Growing with erect or ascending stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it develops simple to sparsely branched stems that are nearly hairless. Its leaves have 10 to 19 millimeter leaflets that are oblanceolate to obovate, with margins that are nearly entire or slightly toothed toward the leaf tips. The fruit develops with a small stalk-like base and contains one to two smooth seeds.

Habitat: Scattered to locally abundant in vernal pools, stream banks, volcanic flats, open rocky ground, with blue oak, chaparral, or pine

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 300-800 m

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