Trifolium repens

Τριφύλλι το έρπον

Etymology of Trifolium repens: The name of the genus, "Trifolium" derives from the Ancient Greek "τρία" [tria], meaning "three" and the Latin "folium", which means "leaf", hence "three-leafed", referring to the three leaflets that comprise a leaf. This word is a calque of the Ancient Greek "τρίφυλλο" [trifyllo], which actually means the same thing. "Repens" in Latin means "creeping" because it is a prostrate plant.

Around 35 Trifolium taxa (species and subspecies) have been identified in the wild Cypriot habitat so far.

It blooms during Spring, from March to May. Trifolium repens is supposed to grow at high altitudes, in the Troodos region only, but this one was recorded in almost coastal Ypsonas, grown in the grass of a park, alongside other creeping Trifolium repenses that form a green-white "carpet" somehow. We notice white marks on the leaves, in the middle of them, like an "equatorial" line. The leaves are more circular shaped than in most of the other Trifolium species. On its flower white prevails, as in the clypeatum species, but in this case, its petals are shorter and the fruit is more spherically symmetric.