Posted: Sunday 26th July 2020 by trustadmin
Hare’s-foot (or Rabbitfoot) Clover Trifolium arvense
This is another of my summer favourites. At first glance you may not even realize it is a clover. Although it has trefoil leaves, unlike other clovers Hare’s-foot Clover has soft downy oval flower heads which are its distinguishing feature and, as its common name suggests, it looks a little like a hare’s paw or a rabbit’s foot.
The downy hairs that cover the calyx are important as they protect the pale rose pink flowers and other parts from the sun’s heat in dry, sun-baked habitats. The hair covering also helps the pods spread with the wind.
The plant usually grows in the form of compact little bushes in a variety of places but particularly in dry seaside turf and around coastal boulders. I have recently found it near the Lighthouse and at Roselle Point, at Cachliere but also along the railway track near the Newtown crossing!
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