Spanish clover
Acmispon americanus
Despite its common name, Spanish clover is not a true clover of the genus Trifolium, but is actually a member of the deervetch genus.
- Scientific name
- Acmispon americanus
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Fabales › Fabaceae › Acmispon
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry open grasslands, sandy flats, coastal chaparral, and disturbed soils.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, nourished by root-associated nitrogen-fixing bacteria).
- Range
- Western North America, Pacific Coast of the United States, Southwestern Canada, Northern Mexico
- Size
- 10 to 60 cm in height, often forming spreading mats.
- Lifespan
- 1 year (annual)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Invasive plant encroachment, habitat fragmentation from urban development, and intensive agriculture.
- Safe to approach?
- This plant is entirely harmless and safe to approach. You can closely examine its small, pinkish-white flowers. Avoid trampling the plants or harvesting wild specimens to preserve local biodiversity.
Acmispon americanus , known by the common names American bird's-foot trefoil and Spanish clover , is a species of legume native to most habitats of California, the Western United States, Western Canada, and northern Mexico.
Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/52d525b6-0d6c-4a2b-ab07-a28255448c45.md