Creeping Clover

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Creeping Clover
Creeping Clover
Anonim
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Creeping clover (Latin Trifolium repens) - a herbaceous perennial plant from the genus Clover (Latin Trifolium), belonging to the legume family (Latin Fabaceae). An unpretentious plant that grows under the feet of people who mercilessly trample a very useful creature of the plant world. In our country, creeping clover is probably familiar to every person, since it grows everywhere, including open spaces of fields and meadows, as well as city lawns saturated with industrial hazardous emissions. Under the discreet appearance with white fragrant heads of inflorescences, there is an amazing plant that has a lot of advantages.

What's in your name

The Latin name of the plant "Trifolium repens" is associated with its appearance. The generic name "Trifolium", which is translated into Russian by the word "Shamrock", indicates the number of leaves sitting on one petiole. Although this species is characterized by a deviation from tradition, and therefore sometimes there are specimens with a greater number of leaves on one petiole.

The specific Latin epithet "repens" in translation means "creeping" and speaks of the creeping nature of a perennial plant that quickly occupies vast spaces, displacing other representatives of the plant world.

In view of the widespread prevalence of the plant, "Creeping clover" has acquired numerous synonymous names, including such as: "White clover" or "White clover", "Dutch clover", "Amoria creeping".

Description

The guarantor of the longevity of creeping clover is the root system, consisting of the main taproot and numerous adventitious roots extending from it.

On the surface of the earth, the plant shows a creeping, creeping bare stem, capable of releasing additional roots at the locations of the nodes, which add a margin of vitality to the White Kashka.

The stem is covered with numerous compound leaves, usually consisting of three oval leaves with a small notch at the top. The leaf blade of the leaves is decorated with an intricate arcuate pattern, painted in a lighter green color. The leaves are located on a long ascending petiole, capable of stretching up to 30 (thirty) centimeters in length. The leaves are very decorative and attractive.

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For loose white spherical heads of inflorescences, creeping Clover was named "White Kashka". Indeed, the numerous miniature moth-type flowers are similar to grains of rice or semolina boiled in milk, and are quite edible. Inflorescences are born from the axils of the leaves, crowning a long peduncle that rises above the leaves. They begin to appear in May and do not stop their appearance in the world until the very frost.

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Flowers on the inflorescence bloom gradually. The first to open their petals are the flowers located along the edge of the flower head, and then the corollas of the central flowers bloom, inviting the bees to taste the nectar hidden at the very bottom of the corolla, where the ovary is located. In order to feast on the nectar of a fragrant flower, bees involuntarily have to drag the pollen of ten stamens with their paws on the stigma of the ovary, carrying out the greatest sacrament on Earth.

The pollinated ovary turns into the fruit of a plant, typical for plants of the Legume family - a flat oblong bean, inside which three or four seeds can hide, ready to insure the root system in order to maintain the existence of this type of Clover on our planet.

Usage

White cup is an excellent delicacy for bees, who collect pollen and nectar from flowers for the service of pollination. The color of the petals is transferred to the fragrant honey, into which the bees process the flower nectar. A person only has to partially take away from bees the most valuable product, ready for use, made without the construction of bulky and smoky factories by nature itself - clover flowers and bees.

But not only bees love creeping clover. Its leaves are rich in vegetable protein and are readily eaten by herbivores. The leaves and flowers of this species are quite edible for humans.

Like all legumes, creeping clover heals depleted soil, enriching its composition with valuable nitrogen.

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