Fabaceae, the pea, bean or legume family.
Description:
Plant:
Hairy plant with clover-like leaves and dense heads of small, pink,
pea-like flowers. Growing 1'-2' if not mown down. Short-lived perennial.
Flowers:
Pink, small, pea-like, about 1/2" long, in dense heads about 1" across
on a hairy stem. Usually subtended by a pair of leaves.
Leaves:
Alternate, compound with three nearly sessile, oval leaflets.
Leaflets have light, V-shaped marking near the center.
Fruit:
Head of small, dry seed-like fruits.
Blooming:
May-September
Habitat:
Fields, roadsides.
Comments:
Introduced from Europe, and often planted as a forage crop, and
to enrich the soil as the roots harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Where to find it:
Common near paths and in occasionally mown field areas.