Curious...

[Lori S.]

I got some seed from the 2010-2011 NARGS seedex for Trifolium trichocephalum and grew it.   It is strange that I can't find any particular reference to it other than from species lists. The Plant List indicates that it is a valid species name and evidently the type location for it was "Taur.- Caucas." (Taurus Mountains-Caucasus region, I assume).  

Can anyone, perhaps the seed donor, tell me anything more about it?  The height in the seedlist was shown as 30-70cm, so I'm hoping it will provide interest in the border along the same lines as Trifolium rubens does.  I guess I will get to see it in growth this year, but it's very curious how little one can find on it in a search!

http://epic.kew.org/searchepic/detailquery.do;jsessionid=FFB2F7B0BCA3E7B8D4547E679F725597?requiredPage=1&scientificName=Trifolium+trichocephalum&datasources=ipni&datasources=mc&datasources=kr&datasources=ebbd&datasources=libcat&datasources=pmb&datasources=herbcat&datasources=ecbot&datasources=livcoll&datasources=sid&datasources=sepasal&datasources=efz&categories=names&categories=bibl&categories=colln&categories=taxon&categories=flora&detailDatasource=ipni

[McDonough]

Here's what I can find on this species.  Judging from the one photo of it, with flowers just going over, it's not much in the looks department.

Two photos of seed of Trifolium trichocephalum
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/dno_eval_acc.pl?135104+493441+2

Plant description:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1666817

In this one, it reports the flowers heads as red and large.  Range is given as: Western Asia: Iran [n.]; Turkey
 Caucasus: Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Russian Federation:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1194092

Herbarium specimen:
http://eol.org/pages/644245/entries/34500526/overview

Image:
http://eol.org/data_objects/5921078
...larger image version:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Trifolium_trichocephalum.JPG/659px-Trifolium_trichocephalum.JPG

[Lori S.]

Wow, good sleuthing, Mark!  Thank you!  
For some reason, whenever I tried searching on T. trichocephalum, it defaulted immediately to T. microcephalum.
Large and red sounds sort of promising, though, yeah, I agree - probably not much of a looker.  I'll give it a try though.  It would be best if it doesn't look too much like red clover, T. pratense... (although as I look at it, it doesn't really look so unattractive either, so long as passersby don't immediately think "weed" when they see it in my yard.   )  

[McDonough]

Wow, good sleuthing, Mark!  Thank you!  
For some reason, whenever I tried searching on T. trichocephalum, it defaulted immediately to T. microcephalum.

Google always wants to suggest a more-frequently-searched-item than the one you're actually searching for.  When it does this automatic replacement (grrrrr), look for the link just below that will search for what you actually specified.

[Lori S.]

Yeah, I'm on to that, but for some reason (no doubt something I did, as I tried to go to a more sophisticated search), it ceased showing giving me the option.

[cohan]

I hope it turns out to be nice.. leaves look a little too much like red clover for me = scary...lol I'm still trying to calm myself when I read the name Trifolium at all (knowing the sorts Alplains carries would not be weeds here if they survived at all!) ... all the forage clovers, alfalfas etc are very bothersome here, though they aren't offcially weeds because cows can eat them 

[Lori S.]

Here it is, with new leaves emerging.  The leaves are 1cm long (they appeared to be 3 cm long in the herbarium photos), and judging from it so far, it seems like it may be a small plant.  It's also very hairy, not something I detected from the linked photos (although the herbarium specimen photos were rather low resolution).  

Note that I was so bold last year as to place it directly into the rock garden; I'll definitely be watching closely and will remove it if it proves to be large or invasive.

[cohan]

Looks innocent so far! But then so does red clover at this time of year

[Lori S.]

Ah ha, found a description:
http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/related/Trifolium_trichocephalum/
So, the plant is hairy.  (Oops, I see that the description that Mark posted earlier said it was as well... I'm not sure if it's my memory or my attention span that's faulty.    )
I've found various photos of it showing white flowers, as described above.
Hmmm, it seems to have some following - it's sold at the UK nursery below and there are germination instructions for it on the ORGS site.
http://www.plantpref.co.uk/html/t_to_z.html

NB. The nursery also sells Trifolium rubens, which is an excellent plant... I should send you seed, Cohan, and see if I can convince you that not all clovers are bad...  

[cohan]

If its in the rock garden, hopefully it stays closer to 15 than 70cm!
On a related note, I got an embarrassing number of seeds from a trade this winter, and looking up two of the species (which I must have said I liked from his list) I found they are listed as invasive -- and both so pretty....lol

[cohan]

Funny, looking for something else, I found this photo, in the site of Philippe, who posts on SRGC..
About halfway down:
http://www.alsacephotos.fr/chitelet/site/actualite/2011/juin2011/juin2011.htm

'Nouvel arrivant dans la rocaille Caucase, le trifolium trichocephalum, portant d'énormes têtes florales sur un feuillage duveteux.'  sounds promising!

[RickR]

I am completely baffled that you all can even speculate on what that is.  Obviously, I am just like a regular gardener with this, and have less than even a clue.

Cohan (and everyone), you can link directly to any individual post here or on the SRGC forum:
1) Click on the first line of the post you want.  (If one wanted to link to this post, that would be "Re: Curious...")

2)When the new page opens, copy and paste that url address.

The link will load all the messages on that page of the topic, but bring you directly to the designated post (when it finishes loading).

[Lori S.]

Thanks, Cohan.  It's reassuring to see reports that support that it is at least gardenworthy.  Once the ground thaws more, I'll more than likely be moving it out to the border, though.