Red Clover is a species of clover, which can be easily distinguished
from its close cousin White Clover by
its much larger plant, with
distinctly pink blooms. It is a herbaceous perennial plant, very variable
in size, growing to more than 2 feet tall. The leaves are trifoliate (with
three leaflets), each leaflet 15-30 mm long and 8-15 mm broad, green with a
characteristic pale crescent in the outer half of the leaf; the petiole is
1-4 cm long, with two basal stipules. The flowers are dark pink with a
paler base, 12-15 mm long, produced in a dense inflorescence 2-3 cm
diameter.
The plant was named Trifolium pratense by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753. The
botanical name pratense is Latin for "found in meadows", which is
very much true. It is the national flower of Denmark. Red Clover is
native to Europe and Northern Asia. It is also found in the Himalayas.
Medicinal uses: A tea from the flower has long been considered
an antispasmodic and mild sedative and has been used for various lung and
throat problem such as sore throats, coughs and asthma. The flowers were
once smoked as an asthma treatment. Externally it is used as a salve for
burns and sores. There seems to be no scientific evidence to support
medical uses of Clover, but, being edible it probably can't hurt unless it
is used instead of more effective treatments.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed in Kufri, Himachal Pradesh.
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The flower labeled Red Clover is ...