Clovers can have more than four leaflets. The most leaflets ever recorded is eighteen. It has been estimated that there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf clover.
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 happiness. If a lady hangs a 4 leaf clover on her door, the next man to come in is 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. 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.
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