Naming
The genus name, "Trifolium", derives from the Latin tres, "three", and folium, "leaf", so called from the characteristic form of the leaf, which has three leaflets; hence the popular name trefoil.The species name, "repens", is Latin for "creeping".
Uses
Besides making an excellent forage crop for livestock, clovers are a valuable survival food: they are high in proteins, widespread, and abundant. The fresh plants have been used for centuries as additives to salads and other meals consisting of leafy vegetables.They are not easy for humans to digest raw, however, but this is easily fixed by boiling the harvested plants for 5–10 minutes. Dried flowerheads and seedpods can also be ground up into a nutritious flour and mixed with other foods, or can be steeped into a tisane. White clover flour is sometimes sprinkled onto cooked foods such as boiled rice.
When used in soups, the leaves are often harvested before the plant produces flowers. The roots are also edible, although they are most often cooked firsthand.
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