Clover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clover |
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clover inflorescence | |
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Trifolieae
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Trifolium
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Clover (Trifolium) is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the pea family. It grows worldwide, mainly in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes on mountains in the tropics.
They are small herbaceous plants. It has three sections to each leave, which looks like three leaves. This is called trifoliate.
Symbolism
Shamrock, the traditional Irish symbol, which according to legend was coined by Saint Patrick for the Holy Trinity, is commonly associated with clover.
Clovers occasionally have four leaflets, instead of the usual three. These four-leaf clovers, like other rarities, are considered lucky. Clovers can also have five, six, or more leaflets, but these are rarer. The record for most leaflets is 56, set on 10 May 2009.
Images for kids
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Colorful flowers of clovers beside Zarivar Lake in Iran
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Four-leaf white clover (Trifolium repens)
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Five-leaf red clover (Trifolium pratense)
See also
In Spanish: Trébol para niños