About Trifolium wormskioldii var. longicaule (Wooton & Standl.) L.D.Benson
This taxon is Trifolium wormskioldii var. longicaule (Wooton & Standl.) L.D.Benson, a variety of the legume species Trifolium wormskioldii. Trifolium wormskioldii is a perennial herb that sometimes grows in a matlike form, with either decumbent or upright stems. Its leaves are composed of leaflets 1 to 3 centimetres (1⁄2 to 1+1⁄4 inches) long. Lower stipules end in bristly tips, while upper stipules may be toothed. The rounded inflorescences are 2 to 3 cm (3⁄4 to 1+1⁄4 in) wide, with bristle-tipped sepals. The corollas are pinkish purple or magenta with white tips. This species is native to the western half of North America, ranging from Alaska through California to Mexico. As a perennial herb, it grows in a wide variety of locales, from beaches to mountain ridges, at elevations below approximately 3,200 metres (10,500 ft). Habitats where it grows include chaparral, oak woodland, grassland, yellow pine forest, red fir forest, lodgepole forest, subalpine forest, and wetland-riparian areas. Many Native American groups in western North America use this clover as food. The herbage and flowers are eaten raw, and are sometimes salted. The roots are most often steamed or boiled, then eaten with fish, fish eggs, and fish grease. This species acts as a host plant for caterpillars of the Western cloudywing butterfly (Thorybes diversus).
