File:Клевер подземный - Trifolium subterraneum - Subterranean clover, often shortened to Subclover (Burrowing Clover) - Bodenfrüchtige Klee (25931460454).jpg

The plant's name comes from its underground seed development (geocarpy), a characteristic not possessed by other clovers. This species is self-fertilizing, unlike most legume forage crops such as alfalfa and other clovers, which are pollinated by insects, especially honeybees. The flowers of subclover are often located beneath its leaves and are low in nectar, making access both difficult and unappealing for bees. It can thrive in poor-quality soil where other clovers cannot survive, and is grown commercially for animal fodder. While subterranean clover had been known for a very long time in Central and Southern Europe, it was looked upon as a roadside weed. Its value as a fodder crop was discovered, proved and first promoted by Amos William Howard of South Australia. He found subterranean clover at the Mount Barker Springs at 40 km from Adelaide and proved it to be a valuable fodder plant in some soil types in temperate climates. Subterranean clover revolutionised farming practice, converting many struggling farms into successful livestock holdings. The discovery spread across Australia and to many other countries, due largely to Howard's generosity in publishing articles about the clover, supplying seed free of charge around the world, and advising on handling. By the time of his death on 2 March 1930, thousands of hectares in South Australia were carrying subterranean clover. It was also growing in all Australian States, and requests for seed and information were being received in great numbers from almost all countries in the world which had a temperate climate. By 1961 some 8.1 million hectares of Southern Australia had been sown with subterranean clover. Two of the several cultivars of subterranean clover are named "Howard" and "Mt Barker".

Название растения происходит от его свойства вырабатывать семена под землей, свойства, которым не обладают другие виды клевера - геокарпия (geocarpy, от греч. geo Земля и karpos плод) - развитие и созревание плодов в земле в результате зарывания завязей в почву. Подземный клевер - самооплодотворяющийся, в отличие от большинства бобовых кормовых культур, таких как люцерна и другие виды клевера, опыляющихся насекомыми, особенно пчелами. Цветы его часто находятся под его листьями и содержат мало нектара, что делает доступ трудным и непривлекательным для пчел. Он может успешно разрастаться в некачественной почве, где другие клеверы не могут выжить, и его выращивают на коммерческой основе как корм для животных.