Τριφύλλι το μάλλινο
Etymology of Trifolium tomentosum: 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. The epithet "tomentosum" derives from Medieval Latin "tomentum", meaning "floss, wool", hence tomentosum is "very woolly", referring to the fruits resembling woolly balls.
Around 35 Trifolium taxa have been identified in the wild Cypriot habitat so far.
Trifolium tomentosum is a common Trifolium species encountered all around Cyprus at an altitude of up to 1400 metres. It is an indigenous plant, but not endemic. It primarily grows on grassland and uncultivated fields. It blooms during Spring, from March to May.
How to identify Trifolium tomentosum:
Trifolium tomentosum is similar to resupinatum. Generally, tomentosum is more commoner than resupinatum and their main difference is the size of the flower head, which is double of resupinatum. Another two main differences are the appearance of the flower head, which for tomentosum is hemispheroid to spherical, for resupinatum is rather flatter, and the peduncles are shorter for tomentosum compared to the ones of resupinatum. In more detail:
Tomentosum's calyx throat has a ring of hairs. The fruiting heads are mostly 5–11 mm in diameter, hemispheroid to spherical in fruit, subsessile or borne on a peduncle shorter than 20 mm, shorter than subtending leaves, and the stems are 5–15 cm tall.
Resupinatum's calyx throat is glabrous. The fruiting heads are mostly 10–20 mm in diameter, lobulate in fruit, borne on elongate peduncles 20–50 mm long, longer than subtending leaves, and its stems are mostly 10–40 cm tall.
