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'''White clover''' (''Trifolium repens'') is a [[species]] of [[clover]] native to [[Europe]], North [[Africa]], and West [[Asia]]. It has been widely introduced worldwide as a [[pasture]] crop, and is now also common in most grassy areas of [[North America]] and New Zealand.
It is a [[herbaceous]] [[perennial plant]]. It is low growing, with heads of whitish flowers, often with a tinge of pink or cream that may come on with the aging of the plant. The heads are generally 1.5-2 cm wide, and are at the end of 7 cm [[Peduncle (botany)|peduncles]] or flower stalks <ref name="wotn">Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso, ''Weeds of The Northeast'', (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997), Pp. 236-237.</ref>. The leaves, which by themselves form the symbol known as [[shamrock]], are [[trifoliolate]], smooth, elliptic to egg-shaped and [[Petiole (botany)|long-petioled]]. The stems function as [[stolon]]s, so white clover often forms mats with the stems creeping as much as 18 cm a year, and rooting at the nodes <ref name=wotn/>.
White clover grows among turfgrass, crops, and in a large number of other landscapes.<ref name=wotn/> It is also found in a limited range of different field type environments. White clover can tolerate close mowing, and can grow on many different types and [[pH]]s of soil, but prefers [[clay]].<ref name=wotn/> It is considered to be a beneficial component of natural or organic lawn care due to its ability to [[Nitrogen fixation|fix nitrogen]] and out compete lawn weeds. Natural nitrogen fixing reduces leaching from the soil and can reduce the incidence of some lawn diseases that are enhanced by the availability of synthetic fertilizer. <ref name="Tukey">The Organic Lawn Care Manual'', Tukey, Storey Publishing. p 183.</ref>
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File:Trifolium March 2008-1.jpg
File:Trifolium March 2008-1.jpg
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File:Trifolium repens 08 ies.jpg
File:Trifolium repens f. roseum.jpg|Trifolium repens f. roseum
File:Trifolium repens f. roseum.jpg|Trifolium repens f. roseum
File:Trifolium_repens_(inflorescense) Edit.jpg|[[File:Cscr-featured.svg|12px|featured picture on commons]] {{QI seal}} ''Trifolium repens''<br>(inflorescence)
File:Trifolium_repens_(inflorescense) Edit.jpg|[[File:Cscr-featured.svg|12px|featured picture on commons]] {{QI seal}} ''Trifolium repens''<br>(inflorescence)
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