Flowering Persistence in Ladino Clover 1

TO OBTAIN satisfactory seed yields in Ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.), flowers must be produced successively along the stolon over a period of time. Accordingly, both floral initiation and subsequent continuation of flower production are important. More emphasis has been directed to studying conditions which accelerate development of the first few flowers than to the continuation of flowering. Yet quantitative differences in flowering may be of greater interest to those concerned with seed yields than the qualitative distinction between flowering and nonflowering. The present study was undertaken with this in mind, together with the objective of clarifying the nature of the sparse flowering observed in certain Ladino clones employed in earlier studies. These studies' *• 5 evaluated the behavior in the west of the synthetic variety of Ladino clover, 'Pilgrim', and the 21 clones from which it was developed. Since the clones had been selected from stands in the northeastern United States, some West Coast environments were quite unlike those of the region of adaptation. Differences among clones became increasingly distinct as they were observed at sites