An A5 booklet version as distributed in the - Hants Plants

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Don’t show the plant in its natural setting.
A critique of some illustrations
We’ll take as an example two clovers that are small in stature, often grow together,
and can give beginners some problems. Actually they separate out on a considerable
number of mostly well-defined characters, all of which can be observed in the field, as
follows.
Trifolium striatum (Knotted Clover) Trifolium scabrum (Rough Clover)
Stems tend not to zigzag Stems tend to zigzag at least by fruiting
time
Leaf veins tend to thin towards margin of
leaf, running straight out
Stipules end in a fine bristly point
(aristate)
Calyx tends to be swollen nearer base
(especially in fruit) or at least parallelsided
Leaf veins remain thick or even thicken
towards margin of leaf, bending
backwards
Stipules end in a concave-sided acute
point (acuminate)
Calyx tends to be narrowly bell-shaped
Calyx teeth spread little in fruit Calyx teeth tend to turn out or backward
in fruit
Corolla pink Corolla white (very rarely pink)
Blamey, Fitter and Fitter (2003)
These pictures don’t show the zigzag stem habit of Rough Clover at all. There is a
detail illustration of the leaf veins for one species, but unfortunately no comparison
for the other. Stipules don’t feature at all, and although the calyx of one is illustrated,
there is again no comparison and fruiting specimens aren’t shown. The very vivid
pink colour shown for Knotted Clover, and the rather exaggerated size of the flower
heads, could be misleading. Note that this illustration has magnification indicators for
detail – less useful if the illustration is reproduced at a different scale.
Epicormic shoots Shoots growing directly from the trunk of a tree
Erect Upright
Exserted Protruding
Fascicle A close-set bundle or bunch
Foliaceous Looking like a leaf (when it isn’t)
Free Not joined to another organ except at a single point of attachment
Gland A secreting organ (it may be sunken, superficial, or stalked)
Glandular Either having glands (e.g. “stems glandular”) or being a gland (e.g.
“glandular hair”)
Imbricate Overlapping
Included Not protruding
Indehiscent Not opening or splitting by itself
Internode The portion of stem between two adjacent
nodes
Latex Milky or rubbery sap
Lax Loose, not dense
Leaf-opposed Borne on the stem next to, but on the opposite side from, a leaf
Ligule A strap-shaped structure; in particular, the
projection from the top of a leaf sheath in
Sedges (Cyperaceae) and Grasses
(Poaceae). See also Flower parts and
arrangements
-merous (Combined with a number suffix) composed of, or divided into,
several parts; e.g. trimerous, in 3 parts; pentamerous, in 5 parts.
Monocarpic Flowering and fruiting once before dying
Node A position on a stem where branches, leaves or flowers arise
Ochrea A sheath formed by the fusion of two stipules
Patent Spreading roughly at right angles
Pedicel; pedicellate Flower stalk; having such a stalk
Peduncle; pedunculate Stalk of an inflorescence or group of two or more flowers; having
such a stalk
Petiole; petiolate Leaf stalk; with a leaf stalk
Petiolule Stalk of a leaflet in a compound leaf
Proximal At or near the point of attachment
Recurved Curved backwards
Reflexed Bent abruptly backwards
Revolute Rolled backwards
Rhachis The stem forming the axis of an inflorescence or a compound leaf
after the first branching, i.e. the portion above the peduncle or
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