Trifolium incarnatum L.

Incarnate clover or cut clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant from the legume family (Fabaceae). The stem is erect, unbranched or weakly branched in the lower part, overgrown with dense hairs, up to 50 cm high. The root is spindle-shaped and branched, there are numerous lumps on the side roots.

The leaves are alternating, three-part, reverse-ovate, 8-25 mm long, on both sides pubescent, serrated in the upper part, at the base have large egg pallets that are greenish-white with often reddish tips. The lower leaves are on long petioles, the upper ones are on shorter ones. The flowers are two-sex, irregular, sedentary, numerous, gathered in oblong head inflorescences that are 3-5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide and are located on long stalks.

The flowers are double, the calyx is a bell-shaped tube, in the inside of the bare, there are five long and narrowly pointed prongs that are equal in length or twice as long as the tube. The wreath is bright red or rarely white, 8-12 mm long, longer than the calyx, has five leaves. The pistil has an overgrown fruit, there are 10 stamens, of which nine of them with filaments merged into a tube and one is free.

It blooms in May and June, and single flowers last about 20 days. The fruit is a small egg pod containing one eggy, smooth, shiny, greenish-yellow seed. It is a very good honey plant. Bees collect nectar and plenty of red pollen.