Trifolium stellatum var. stellatum

Erect or ascending annual herb; stems few, 10–25 cm long, covered with appressed (not in Victoria) or patent hairs. Leaves palmately trifoliolate, short- to long-petiolate; leaflets obcordate, 5–12 mm long, 4–8 mm wide, hairy on both surfaces, upper margins sharply dentate; stipules membranous, prominently veined, dentate, hairy. Inflorescence mostly few–10-flowered, terminal, globular, 15–35 mm long, 15–30 mm wide, pedunculate; flowers on pedicels c. 1 mm long. Calyx to c. 15 mm long, villous, tube campanulate, 10-veined, throat fleecy but open, teeth about twice as long as tube, equal, spiny, spreading stellately in fruit; corolla 8–12 mm long, white or pink (in Victoria), rarely purple or yellow, not persistent; standard ovate to oblong, slightly longer than wings. Pod obovoid to pyriform, to c. 3 mm long, membranous, included in calyx tube; seed 1, ovoid, c. 2 mm long, brown or yellowish. Flowers mainly Sep.–Nov.