~ Jessica S. Herwick
Don’t be fooled this Saint Patrick’s Day by the
variety of plants whose leaf shape, coloring, or number of leaves imitate those
of the elusive four leaf clover. Many of those lucky charms you might
collect at your local bar, or wear during the neighborhood pub-crawl on Saint
Patrick’s Day could actually be a number of other plants!
You would be surprised how many manufacturers sell you a four-leaf water clover or a piece of oxalis foliage! Collected here for you are the facts about true clover and the top four-leaf clover impersonators, so this year, you won’t be fooled!
You would be surprised how many manufacturers sell you a four-leaf water clover or a piece of oxalis foliage! Collected here for you are the facts about true clover and the top four-leaf clover impersonators, so this year, you won’t be fooled!
An honest-to-goodness four-leaf clover is a rare variation
of the authentic Irish Shamrock, a three-leafed clover produced by the
herbaceous perennial, White Clover. Scientifically speaking, Trifolium repens.
Literally translated, the scientific name means three leaves creeping – tri (from
the Latin tres meaning three), folium (Latin meaning leaf) repens
(Latin meaning creeping).
To find a real four-leaf clover, first you must identify
this typically three-leafed white clover and search carefully through the
mounds for the rare and lucky four-leafed variation. According to
scientists, you have a one in ten thousand chance! For every four-leaf
clover that grows, ten thousand typical three leafed clovers exist.
Considering how many parts of the world this hardy herbaceous plant is
established, those aren’t terrible odds!
White clover contains 3 egg shaped
leaflets that most often display a white watermark or herringbone imprint that
usually fold into a v-shape towards the base of each leaflet. When a
variation occurs, the fourth leaf on a four-leaf-clover is usually noticeably
smaller than the other 3 leaves. Notice the leaflet in the bottom right
corner of the four-leaf clover photograph above!
You may spot small, globe shaped
white or pinkish-white florets shooting upwards from mounds (stands) of white
clover on stalks that rise up from the leaf axles. The nectar from these
flowers is attractive to bees and especially to a particular case-bearer moth
known as Coleophora mayrella,
who is so particular, it will only feed upon white clover. Note also that
you may find small pods (legumes) roughly 4mm long if the season is
right.
Aside from being endowed with the luckiest of reputations,
white clover has a number of beneficial qualities. It is a hardy
groundcover that can out-compete most other weeds you would otherwise find
settling into your lawn or turfgrass, which makes it a popular addition to your
lawn or grazing areas. It fixes nitrogen in the soil and it’s spreading,
solid stands aid in the prevention of erosion, particularly on moist fertile
soil areas.
White clover is a popular forage crop
for livestock, popular among organic graziers and wandering Easter Bunnies.
It grows in abundance, is high in proteins and tasty to the palette!
Technically a legume, humans can ingest these plants as well. It is
an often used survival plant, so if you find yourself lost in the woods or a
bear eats your granola on the next hiking escapade, you can fend off starvation
and dehydration by munching on white clover leaves until help arrives.
When eaten raw, the leaves may be difficult for human stomachs to digest, but
can be cooked (when in civilization) and added to salads or soups for a protein
boost and a happier belly.
Although it is not recommended in modern times, before
refined medicines existed, white clover grew in abundance in a variety of
regions and was utilized as a medicinal plant by a number of Native American
tribes including the Cherokee, Delaware and Algonquin. All of these tribes prepared white
clover to make medicines that treated a number of ailments.
Trifolium repens' reputation
goes back even further to very ancient times. White clover was highly
regarded by the Druids in Ireland who believed the four leafed finds to be a
sign of luck, and would practice sacred rituals in groves where four-leaf
clovers were found. The Celts in Wales believed them to be a charm
against evil spirits and would carry four leaf clovers with them on long,
dangerous journeys for protection.
Until recently, there was a great
botanical debate about what caused the four-leafed variations to grow within
the three-leafed clover mounds. Some believed it was caused by something
in the environment that triggered the variation. Some believed that it
was pure genetics, a recessive gene that appeared less often than a typical
recessive variant. A third group of believers invested in the search for
proof that the four leaves were caused by a mutation.
FOUR-LEAF IMPERSONATORS
FAKER #1 Marsilea
Marsilea is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic ferns that belong to the family
Marsilea is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic ferns that belong to the family
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Marsileaceae. Unlike your typical
fern, these multi-leaved pond plants have their own unique look. At the
end of the long-stalks that shoot up from the water are leaves containing four
clover-like lobes that sit above the water surface, or submerged, depending on
the stage of plant growth. Marsilea quadrifolia
and Marsilea polycarpa are the biggest impostors of this
genus, and resemble the four leaf clover so closely that many refer to these plants
as waterclover, most commonly, European waterclover.
Waterclover is found in many locations globally
including central and southern Europe, North America, Afghanistan,
Southwest India, China, and Japan. Varieties of Marsilea have been well
established in the Northeastern States for over 100 years. Some cultures
used the juice from this plant to treat snakebites and abscesses due to it's
anti-inflamitory properties, which I suppose might make this a lucky plant if
you've been bitten by a diamond back, however, it will not bring you the luck
of the Irish.
FAKER #2 Oxalis
This impostor is the easiest to discover. Oxalis is the largest of
the genus within the Oxalidaceae (the wood-sorrel) family, containing 800 of
the estimated 900 plants that fall under this family name. Numerous
species of Oxalis have been referred to commonly as false shamrock, and
for good reason. From a distance they look like twins, unless they are
flowering, which can make things easier. Most varieties sport 3 or 4 leaves and
grow in clumps that closely resemble white clover. Oxalis blooms in
pinks, yellows and whites and the flowers are nothing like those of the white
clover, making it easy to tell the difference.
A striking characteristic of this genus (and a
major reason for their name) is the oxalic acid they contain, giving the leaves
and flowers a sour, tangy, acidic taste when chewed. This is reminiscent
of Sorrel proper (Rumex acetosa) and
explains the common names given to many varieties, like wood sorrel or sourgrass.
* In very large amounts, oxalic acid may be
considered slightly toxic to humans, interfering with proper digestion and
kidney function. It should be noted, however, that the amount would have to be
unusually large for a typical person in good health to feel effects. Oxalic acid is also contained in
more commonly consumed foods at similar levels – including but not limited
to - spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, grapefruit, chives, and rhubarb.
Except for the Polar regions, many colorful
varieties of Oxalis can be found most anywhere across the globe, and as a
result, it's been incorrectly identified as a four leaf clover in a variety of
countries all over the world.
Now you know better, Philadelphia.
May the luck of the Irish be with you this Saint Patrick's Day!
Where To Go For More Information:
USDA Fact Sheet on Trifolium repens L. (White
Clover)
To purchase the article or review the abstract from
Crop Science:
Journal reference: Crop Science, DOI:
10.2135/cropsci2009.08.0457
Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide (even
though it's not technically a weed!)
