Montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Navajo Lake Trail, June 30, 2008.

This species is easily mistaken for Trifolium pratense, Red Clover, but a number of characteristics separate the two: T. longipes flowers are lighter pink, and they are not subtended by large, leaf-like bracts.  Leaves of T. longipes are long, narrow, slightly serrated, and evenly colored; leaves of T. pratense are oval, variegated green, and smooth-edged.

Linnaeus named this genus in 1753 and Thomas Nuttall named this species in 1838 from a specimen he collected in the "valleys of the central chain of the Rocky Mountain range..." (quotation from Intermountain Flora) in his mid-1830s trip across the continent.  "Longipes" is perhaps from the Latin for "long limbed" referring to the plants slender stature.

Montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Navajo Lake Trail, June 30, 2008.

Montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Navajo Lake Trail, June 30, 2008.