Flora of Israel: Trifolium dasyurum

Trifolium dasyurum, Trifolium formosum, Trifolium velivolum, Eastern star clover,

Hebrew: תלתן נאה, Arabic: النفل الداسيوري

Scientific name:   Trifolium dasyurum C. Presl
Synonym name:   Trifolium formosum d’Urv., Trifolium velivolumPaine
Common name:   Eastern star clover
Hebrew name:   תלתן נאה
Arabic name:   النفل الداسيوري
Plant Family:   Papilionaceae, פרפרניים


Life form:   Therophyte, annual
Leaves:   Alternate, compound, trifoliate
Flowers:   Pink
Flowering Period:   March, April, May
Habitat:   Batha, Phrygana
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Mediterranean
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Trifolium, Latin tri, tres, three; folium, leaf; three-leaved.

dasyurum, dasys δασυϛ hairy, bushy, thick grown; oura, tail; hairy-tail.
formosum, finely formed, handsome, beautiful.
velivolum, sail-flying, winged with sails.
The Hebrew name: תלתן, taltan, clover, trefoil, from tlat (Aramaic) three; the clover is recalled in the Mishnah Kilayim 2:5, “[a field} of clover among which grew up…”

  • The standard author abbreviation C. Presl is used to indicate Carl Borivoj Presl (1794 – 1852), a Czech botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation d’Urv. is used to indicate Admiral Jules Sébastien César Dumont d’Urville (1790 – 1842, a French explorer, cartographer, botanist, linguist, writer.
  • The standard author abbreviation Paine is used to indicate John Alsop Paine (1840 – 1912), an American naturalist.