Phenotypic Variations in T. repens (White Clover) Leaf Pigmentation

There is a known variation in patterning amongst the leaves of variegated plants. The reasons as to why this polymorphism occurs has long been debated by botanists and biologists, but some hypotheses include thermoregulation, ultraviolet protection, and pollinator attraction among others (Kuo et al., 2024). We hypothesized that physical location may play a role in the leaf variegation of Trifolium repens (white clover). Starting mid July of 2024, we collected sample leaflets from multiple local populations from three distinct sites in Greencastle, IN. After collecting, we looked at the frequency of chevron presence as well as the size of the chevrons. We determined that there is a difference between chevron size and frequency between sites.