Shamrocks

[deckardcanine]

Another St. Patrick’s Day’s already over,
But can you tell shamrocks from more types of clover?
We rule out the ones that are purple or white
Or come with four leaves, tho they are a rare sight.
St. Patrick supposedly used the three leaves
In explaining the Trinity as he perceived.
The Irish word seamróg means clover that’s small.
That standard won’t narrow the field much at all.
The term is applied to no fewer than five
Plant species reported on Erin to thrive.
The Trifolium genus accounts for a lot,
But so does Oxalis, which really is not
For clovers. Most often, it’s just the wood sorrel,
The so-called false shamrock. Confusion is normal.
There’s also black medic, among other names
For an herb that is subject to shamrocky claims.
These national signs of the Emerald Isle
Are not scientific but still make us smile.