Taxon:  Trifolium arvense L.



Summary
Genus:
Trifolium
Subgenus:
Trifolium
Section:
Trifolium
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Trifolieae
Nomen number:
40173
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:769.  1753
Verified:
03/23/2007 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
109 (73  active, 50  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Trifolium arvense L. var. arvense (0 active accession[s])
Trifolium arvense L. var. gracile (Thuill.) DC. (1 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
  3. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  4. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
  5. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  6. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  7. Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
  8. CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. 1968-1974. The CIBA-GEIGY Weed Tables 56.2.
  9. Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 143.
  10. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  11. Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
  12. Ellison, N. W. et al. 2006. Molecular phylogenetics of the clover genus (Trifolium - Leguminosae). Molec. Phylogenet. Evol. 39:688-705.
  13. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  14. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  15. Gillett, J. M. & N. L. Taylor (M. Collins ed.). 2001. The world of clovers 38.
  16. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  17. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  18. Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
  19. Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
  20. Lamont, E.-J. et al. 2001. Chapter 4. Clovers (Trifolium L.). In: Maxted, N. et al. (eds.), Plant genetic resources of legumes in the Mediterranean 79-88. Note: this review mentioned that this species is "adapted to infertile, dry, sandy soils"
  21. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  22. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  23. Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia.
  24. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  25. Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979-1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones.
  26. Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
  27. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  28. Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
  29. Smythies, B. E. 1984-1986. Flora of Spain and the Balearic Islands: checklist of vascular plants. Englera 3:1-882.
  30. Stace, C. 1995. New flora of the British Isles.
  31. Thulin, M. 1983. Leguminosae of Ethiopia. Opera Bot. 68:1-223.
  32. Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
  33. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  34. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  35. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
  36. Zohary, M. & D. Heller. 1984. The genus Trifolium 439.
  37. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
  38. 2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
  39. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Note: forage crop
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishhare-foot clover  1Stace, C. 1995. New flora of the British Isles.
Englishhare-foot trefoil  1Gillett, J. M. & N. L. Taylor (M. Collins ed.). 2001. The world of clovers 38.
Englishrabbit-foot clover  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishstone clover  1Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
English (Canada)rabbit-foot clover Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada official name2Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 143.
Frenchtrèfle des champs  2Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
French (Canada)trèfle des champs Agriculture & Agroalimentaire Canada nom officiel2Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 143.
Japanese Rōmajishaguma-hagi  2Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Portuguese (Brazil)trevo-de-rato  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Swedishharklöver  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalMadeira Islands Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaDjibouti  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusArmenia  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusGeorgia  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian FederationDagestan Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian Federation-CiscaucasiaCiscaucasia Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaKazakhstan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaTurkmenistan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian Federation-Western SiberiaWestern Siberias.Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIraq  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaLebanon  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaSyria  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeBelarus  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeEstonia  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeLatvia  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeLithuania  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeMoldova  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeRussian Federation-European partEuropean part Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine incl. KrymYakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeAustria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeBelgium  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeCzechoslovakia  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeGermany  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeHungary  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeNetherlands  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropePoland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeSwitzerland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeDenmark  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeFinland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeIreland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeNorway  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeSweden  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeUnited Kingdom  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeBulgaria  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece incl. CreteGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeRomania  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance incl. CorsicaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain incl. BalearesTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalAzores Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand   
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States   
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii  
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Madeira Islands]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
  • CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
  • SIBERIA: Russian Federation-Western Siberia [Western Siberia (s.)]
  • MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Czechoslovakia, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal
Naturalized
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Portugal [Azores]
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Northern America
  • REGION: United States
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Reference(s)
  1. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  2. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  3. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  4. Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
  5. Silva, L. et al. 2005. Listagem da fauna e flora terrestres dos Açores. Lista des plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta).
  6. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  7. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodforage Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Animal foodforage Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Weedseed contaminantpotentialCIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. 1968-1974. The CIBA-GEIGY Weed Tables 56.2.
Weedseed contaminantpotentialWeber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=40173. Accessed 11 May 2026.