This annual clover with a mainly western Mediterranean distribution is present, but generally quite rare, in Tuscany, Lazio, Campania and Sardinia (since a long time no longer observed in Sicily). It grows in wet meadows and at the edges of temporary ponds, from sea level to about 600 m. It is a characteristic species of the Mediterranean temporary ponds of Sardinia, being rather common in the central and intermediate belts. The genus name derives from the Latin word 'tri' (three) and 'folium' (leaf), referring to the leaves, that are divided into 3 leaflets; the species is dedicated to the great botanist Pier Antonio Micheli (1679-1737), founder of the Botanical Society of Florence. Flowering period: May to June. |