Trifolium repens It is a species of perennial legume with a decumbent bearing that belongs to the Fabaceae family. Known as bogie, honeysuckle, white speck, bitter clover, white clover, wild clover, wild clover or trebolillo, it is a native species of the Mediterranean basin.
It is a creeping herbaceous plant with long stolons that vigorously root at the level of the internodes. The obovate trifoliate leaves and denticulate margins are characterized by a white spot on the upper surface. The flowers arranged in heads are white or pink.
White clover is one of the main forage legumes used as a food supplement for cattle, goats, deer, horses and sheep. However, its consumption must be associated with grasses to avoid abdominal distension in ruminants, due to excessive accumulation of gases in the intestines..
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Herbaceous plant with a creeping bearing, procumbent stems, glabrous and climbing growth that can reach up to 10-20 cm in height. Its root system formed by a branched main root and numerous adventitious roots has stoloniferous habits, which favors its rapid spread..
The petiolate leaves are formed by three obovate, smooth and serrated leaflets 1-2 cm long. Each dull green leaflet is characterized by a central whitish spot and a membranous stipula that covers the petiole..
Papillionaceous flowers have an irregular corolla and five whitish petals, one upright or "standard", two lateral or "wings" and two lower or "keels". Usually 50-150 flowers are grouped in 15-20 mm diameter inflorescences or glomeruli on a 10-20 cm long flower stalk. The flowering period occurs from June to August.
The fruit is an indehiscent legume containing 3-4 small, heart-shaped, yellowish or reddish-brown seeds. Each seed has a thick and suberized seed coat, as well as a small protuberance from which the future radicle will emerge..
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Fabales
- Family: Fabaceae
- Subfamily: Faboideae
- Tribe: Trifolieae
- Gender: Trifolium
- Species: Trifolium repens L.
- Trifolium: the name of the genus derives from the union of the Latin terms "tri" and "-folium", which mean "three" and "leaf", which translates into "three leaves".
- repens: the specific adjective in Latin refers to its "creeping" growth.
- Lotus repens Kuntze
- Trifolium limonium Phil.
- Trifolium stipitatum Clos
White clover is a perennial herb native to southern Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, naturalized in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. At present it is a widely distributed species as a forage plant in temperate and subtropical regions around the planet..
It develops in environments with a subtropical or temperate-humid climate with little summer drought, on various types of terrain, except for heavy and sandy soils. Its natural habitat is located on humid soils on the banks of water courses, roadsides or paths, edge of forests, meadows and fallows..
Commercially, white clover is easily propagated through seeds or stolons from its roots. In temperate zones it can be grown as a rainfed crop, in drier zones it is necessary to implement a frequent irrigation system.
Sowing by seeds is carried out at a rate of 1.5-3 kg of seed per hectare, dispersing broadcast and superficially. In grazing fields, it tends to be associated with other forage species, and it is advisable not to exceed the portion of white clover to more than 30%.
On the other hand, vegetative propagation through stolons is a quick way to cover large areas. In fact, clover is a very persistent plant that can become a weed in farm fields, lawns, parks, and gardens..
White clover must be grown in full sun exposure and in warm environments for effective development. Although it tolerates occasional frosts down to -5 ºC, it is best to plant in areas where temperatures do not drop below 10 ºC.
It grows on a great diversity of soil, including poor, sandy and acid pH soils. However, it is susceptible to salinity and requires phosphorous supplements. Soil pH around 6.5 favors nitrogen fixation.
White clover develops nodules on its roots, associated with nitrifying bacteria of the genus Rhizobium. Under optimal conditions of temperature, humidity and substrate, bacteria have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
This legume, either wild or cultivated as forage, adapts to a wide variety of climatic conditions. In fact, it develops favorably in a temperature range of 18-30 ºC, the optimum temperature being 24 ºC..
Temperatures above 35ºC or below 10ºC tend to slow down their growth and development. On the other hand, to start the flowering process it requires going through a period of low winter temperatures or vernalization stage..
Due to the superficiality of its roots, white clover is susceptible to water deficit caused by low rainfall. Develops effectively in regions where rainfall is distributed regularly throughout the year.
In areas with prolonged dry periods, the availability of frequent irrigation is necessary, otherwise its performance as forage drops considerably. However, in poorly drained soils, it supports excess moisture, being less sensitive than most forage legumes..
White clover is rich in a number of secondary metabolites, including the carbohydrates arabinose, glucomannan, and rhamnose, coumarin medicagol, and caffeic, salicylic, and oxalic acids. As well as saponins, the anthocyanins cyanidin and delphinidin, the flavonoids camferol, quercetin and myricetin, the phytoestrogens daidzein, formononetin and genistein. In addition, it contains cyanogenic glycosides of toxic action.
The presence of phytoestrogens can induce abortion, being totally contraindicated in case of pregnancy. Similarly, it has an estrogenic effect, so its intake is not recommended in people who use contraceptives. Its habitual consumption can alter the hormonal level in the organism.
On the other hand, the high content of oxalic acid prevents the absorption of certain mineral elements such as calcium and iron. Similarly, oxalate tends to accumulate in the kidney tubes, causing the formation of stones or kidney stones..
In cattle, regular consumption of white clover can cause the digestive system to become bloated and sterile. As well as congenital malformations during the gestation period, such as hip deformation or bovine achondroplasia.
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