Details Top

Internal ID UUID643fdf20ebb98843652650
Scientific name Trifolium medium
Authority L.
First published in Amoen. Acad.4: 105 (1759)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
- Pasture and hay for ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats) – harvested at late vegetative stage, high protein.
- Silage – ensiled material used in winter feeding.
- Honey – nectar collected by honeybees; contributes to honey production in regions where the species is abundant.

Industrial and craft applications:
- Seed‑mix component in cover‑crop blends for erosion control and soil stabilization.
- Green manure – incorporated into soil to increase organic matter and provide biologically fixed nitrogen.
- Ornamental ground‑cover in low‑maintenance landscaping.

Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- Young leaves and flower heads are edible raw in salads or as a garnish; they can be cooked like spinach.
- Seeds may be sprouted and used as a protein‑rich garnish or incorporated into baked goods.

Properties relevant to use:
- Symbiotic nitrogen fixation with Rhizobium (≈ 100–150 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) reducing synthetic fertilizer need.
- Crude protein content of 16–20 % of dry matter in vegetative material; high in‑vitro dry‑matter digestibility (> 70 %).
- Low lignin and high cellulose in stems, contributing to palatability and rapid fermentation in silage.
- Moderate dry‑matter yield (3–5 t ha⁻¹) under temperate conditions.

Standards and regulation:
- Classified in the International Feed Number (IFN) system as “Clovers, medium” (IFN 5‑01‑238) for feed‑composition reporting.
- EU feed‑safety legislation (Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003) governs contaminant limits and labeling of forages.
- Organic certification bodies (e.g., EU Organic Regulation 2018/848) permit use of the species as a certified organic green manure.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Native to temperate Europe, it is cultivated widely in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and parts of Central Europe.
- As a perennial legume, it requires less frequent reseeding than annual legumes, supporting reduced tillage and lower carbon emissions.
- Its nitrogen‑fixing capacity improves soil fertility and can lower the carbon footprint of livestock systems when incorporated into mixed pastures.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Trifolium flexuosum Jacq. Fl. Austriac.4: 45 (1776)
Trifolium medium subsp. medium L.
Lagopus flexuosus Bernh. Syst. Verz. Erf.: 238 (1800)
Trifolium haynaldianum Pant. Oesterr. Bot. Z.28: 282 (1878)
Trifolium haynaldii Meynh. Kal. Vid. Növén.: 65 (1877)
Trifolium flexicaule Vill. Prosp. Hist. Pl. Dauphiné: 43 (1779)
Trifolium subexpansum Schur Verh. Naturf. Vereins Brünn15(2): 177 (1877)
Trifolium pensylvanicum Willd. Enum. Pl.: 793 (1809)
Trifolium aucheri Boiss. Fl. Orient.2: 114 (1872)
Trigonella micrantha Desf. Tabl. École Bot., ed. 3: 410 (1829)
Trifolium medium subsp. eriocalycinum (Hausskn.) Ponert Feddes Repert.83: 637 (1972 publ. 1973)
Trifolium medium var. eriocalycinum Hausskn. Mitt. Geogr. Ges. (Thüringen) Jena5(Gesamtthüring): 22 (1886)
Trifolium medium subsp. flexuosum (Jacq.) Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl.6(2): 567 (1908)
Trifolium medium subsp. skorpili Velen. Sitzungsber. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss. Prag 29: 7 (1894)
Trifolium medium subsp. skorpilii Velen. Sitzungsber. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss., Math.-Naturwiss. Cl.1894(29): 7 (1895)
Trifolium medium var. angustifolium Wimm. & Grab. Fl. Siles.2(2): 37 (1829)
Trifolium medium var. angustium Wahlenb. Fl. Suec.1: 466 (1826)
Trifolium medium var. brachycalycinum Rouy G.Rouy & J.Foucaud, Fl. France5: 125 (1899)
Trifolium medium var. majus Boiss. Fl. Orient.2: 114 (1872)
Trifolium medium var. microphyllum Lej. Rev. Fl. Spa: 248 (1825)
Trifolium medium var. microphyllum Lej. & Courtois Comp. Fl. Belg.3: 53 (1836)
Trifolium medium var. angustius Wahlenb. Fl. Suecica2: 466 (1826)
Trifolium medium var. strictum Hartm. Handb. Skand. Fl., ed. 2: 203 (1832)
Trifolium medium f. pedunculosum (Ser.) C.Vicioso Anales Inst. Bot. Cavanilles 11: 330 (1954)
Trifolium medium subsp. pendunculosum Ser. Prodr. 2: 195 (1825)
Trifolium medium var. flexuosum (Jacq.) C.Vicioso Anales Inst. Bot. Cavanilles 11: 329 (1954)
Trifolium alpestre Crantz Stirp. Austr. Fasc. , ed. 2: 407 (1769)
Trifolium affine Lej. ex Ser. Prodr. 2: 195 (1825)
Trifolium medium var. subpilosum Charit. Dopoln. Fl. i Rastitel'n. Yuga Zapadnoi Sibiri : 185 (2020)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English zigzag clover
Belarusian дзятліна баравая
Belarusian дзяцеліна баравая
Belarusian канюшына
Belarusian канюшына белая
Belarusian канюшына сярэдняя
Bulgarian междинна детелина
Czech jetel prostřední
Welsh meillionen igam-ogam
Danish bugtet kløver
German mittlerer klee
German zickzack-klee
Estonian trifolium flexuosum
Estonian keskmine ristik
Persian شبدر گاوی
Finnish metsäapila
French trèfle intermédiaire
Croatian srednja djetelina
Upper Sorbian mjezny dźećel
Igbo zigzag clover
Icelandic skógarsmári
Georgian ტყის სამყურა
Lithuanian Šilinis dobilas
Latvian zirgu āboliņš
myv Аволь сэрей вараканьпал
myv аволь сэрей вараканьпря тикше
Norwegian Bokmål skogkløver
Dutch bochtige klaver
Polish koniczyna pogięta
Russian Клевер средни
Russian Клевер средний
Slovak ďatelina prostredná
Slovenian srednja detelja
Swedish skogsklöver
Turkish köse yonca
Ukrainian Конюшина середня
Chinese 中间车轴草

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

No distribution data was extracted from POWO/KEW yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000213979
Canadensys 5923
USDA Plants TRME
Tropicos 13040317
INPN 127382
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:523361-1
The Plant List ild-9039
Open Tree Of Life 76048
Observations.org 2785
NCBI Taxonomy 97028
NBN Atlas NBNSYS0000003233
Nature Serve 2.140746
IPNI 523364-1
iNaturalist 85065
GBIF 5358812
Freebase /m/02vmcl9
EPPO TRFME
EOL 704120
Elurikkus 8004
USDA GRIN 310362
Wikipedia Trifolium_medium

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
Accession Assembly
Name Level Submitter Released Coverage Size
GCA_003490085.1 ASM349008v1 Scaffold Masaryk University 2018-09-06 23 469.83 Mb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Genome assembly of Melilotus officinalis provides a new reference genome for functional genomics Meng A, Li X, Li Z, Miao F, Ma L, Li S, Sun W, Huang J, Yang G BMC Genom Data 18-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11025269
doi:10.1186/s12863-024-01224-y
PMID:38637749
Land‐use affects pollinator‐specific resource availability and pollinator foraging behaviour Birkenbach M, Straub F, Kiesel A, Ayasse M, Wilfert L, Kuppler J Ecol Evol 07-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10918743
doi:10.1002/ece3.11061
PMID:38455145
Novel SNP markers for flowering and seed quality traits in faba bean (Vicia faba L.): characterization and GWAS of a diversity panel Ohm H, Åstrand J, Ceplitis A, Bengtsson D, Hammenhag C, Chawade A, Grimberg Å Front Plant Sci 06-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10950902
doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1348014
PMID:38510437
Housing European Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus citellus) for an Ex Situ Conservation Program Bárdos B, Altbacker V, Török HK, Nagy I Methods Protoc 20-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10885073
doi:10.3390/mps7020018
PMID:38390845
The most polyphagous insect herbivore? Host plant associations of the Meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) Thompson V, Harkin C, Stewart AJ PLoS One 04-Oct-2023
PMCID:PMC10602594
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0291734
PMID:37792900
An annotated nomenclatural checklist of endemic vascular plants distributed in the Ukrainian Carpathians Novikov A Biodivers Data J 11-Aug-2023
PMCID:PMC10848708
doi:10.3897/BDJ.11.e103921
PMID:38327305
Alfalfa MsATG13 Confers Cold Stress Tolerance to Plants by Promoting Autophagy Zhao W, Song J, Wang M, Chen X, Du B, An Y, Zhang L, Wang D, Guo C Int J Mol Sci 27-Jul-2023
PMCID:PMC10418659
doi:10.3390/ijms241512033
PMID:37569409
Endangered Forest Communities in Central Europe: Mapping Current and Potential Distributions of Euro-Siberian Steppic Woods with Quercus spp. in South Slovak Basin Oravec P, Wittlinger L, Máliš F Biology (Basel) 25-Jun-2023
PMCID:PMC10376067
doi:10.3390/biology12070910
PMID:37508342
High-quality chromosome-level de novo assembly of the Trifolium repens Wang H, Wu Y, He Y, Li G, Ma L, Li S, Huang J, Yang G BMC Genomics 13-Jun-2023
PMCID:PMC10265827
doi:10.1186/s12864-023-09437-8
PMID:37312068
The Effect of Combined Drought and Temperature Stress on the Physiological Status of Calcareous Grassland Species as Potential Candidates for Urban Green Infrastructure Krzyżak J, Rusinowski S, Sitko K, Szada-Borzyszkowska A, Borgulat J, Stec R, Hanslin HM, Pogrzeba M Plants (Basel) 16-May-2023
PMCID:PMC10222070
doi:10.3390/plants12102003
PMID:37653919
Edge Effects in the Distribution of Coleoptera in the Forests of the Center of the European Part of Russia Ruchin AB, Egorov LV, Khapugin AA Insects 10-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10144564
doi:10.3390/insects14040371
PMID:37103186
Investigating the Origin and Evolution of Polyploid Trifolium medium L. Karyotype by Comparative Cytogenomic Methods Lukjanová E, Hanulíková A, Řepková J Plants (Basel) 04-Jan-2023
PMCID:PMC9866396
doi:10.3390/plants12020235
PMID:36678948
Edible Flowers Used in Some Countries of the Mediterranean Basin: An Ethnobotanical Overview Motti R, Paura B, Cozzolino A, de Falco B Plants (Basel) 28-Nov-2022
PMCID:PMC9736219
doi:10.3390/plants11233272
PMID:36501312
Impact of Gastrointestinal Digestion Simulation on the Formation of Angiotensin-I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory (ACE-I) Peptides from Germinated Lamtoro Gung Flour Fitriani A, Indrati R, Marsono Y, Supriyadi S Foods 23-Nov-2022
PMCID:PMC9737618
doi:10.3390/foods11233769
PMID:36496578
Effect of Sheep Grazing, Stocking Rates and Dolomitic Limestone Application on the Floristic Composition of a Permanent Dryland Pasture, in the Montado Agroforestry System of Southern Portugal Carreira E, Serrano J, Gomes CJ, Shahidian S, Paniagua LL, Pilirito A, Lopes Castro J, Carvalho M, Pereira AF Animals (Basel) 20-Sep-2022
PMCID:PMC9559647
doi:10.3390/ani12192506
PMID:36230248

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Cyclitols and derivatives / Quinic acids and derivatives
Chlorogenic Acid 1794427 Click to see C1C(C(C(CC1(C(=O)O)O)OC(=O)C=CC2=CC(=C(C=C2)O)O)O)O 354.31 unknown https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00564821
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids
P-Coumaric Acid 637542 Click to see 164.16 unknown https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00564821
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Furanoisoflavonoids / Pterocarpans
(-)-Maackiain 91510 Click to see 284.26 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(78)90010-8
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Isoflav-2-enes / Isoflavones
Daidzein 5281708 Click to see 254.24 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TALANTA.2009.03.011
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / O-methylated isoflavonoids / 4-O-methylated isoflavonoids / 4-O-methylisoflavones
Biochanin A 5280373 Click to see 284.26 unknown https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00565710
Formononetin 5280378 Click to see 268.26 unknown https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00564617
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TALANTA.2009.03.011

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