The four-leaflet clover is an uncommon variation of the common three-leaf clover. Alsike redirects here Alsike Sweden is also a town in the Knivsta Municipality, Sweden. According to superstition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally. Superstition ( Latin superstitio, literally "standing over" derived perhaps from standing in awe used in Latin as a unreasonable or excessive belief Luck (also called fortunity) is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. [1]
Clovers can have more than four leaflets. The most leaflets ever recorded is eighteen. [2]
Many believe that these are "four leaved" clovers which is not true as these are the "leaflets" and not "leaves"; usually clovers have 3 leaflets.
According to legend, each leaflet represents something: the first is for hope, the second is for faith, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck. Hope is a Belief in a positive outcome related to events and Circumstances in one's life Faith is a Belief in the trustworthiness of an Idea. Formal usage of the word "faith" is usually reserved for concepts of Religion, as in Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. Luck (also called fortunity) is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. [3] Legend also holds that if a lady hangs a four-leaf clover on her door, the next man to come in will become her husband.
It is debated whether the fourth leaflet is caused genetically or environmentally. Its rarity suggests a possible recessive gene appearing at a low frequency. Alternatively, four-leaf clovers could be caused by somatic mutation or a developmental error of environmental causes. In biology mutations are changes to the Nucleotide sequence of the Genetic material of an organism They could also be caused by the interaction of several genes that happen to segregate in the individual plant. It is possible all four explanations could apply to individual cases.
References
- ^ Mabey, Richard, Flora Britannica, Sinclair-Stevenson, London, 1996, p225. ISBN 1-85619-377-2
- ^ Guinness World Records - Natural World - Plant World - Clover - Most Leaves
- ^ How common are four-leaf clovers?
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