White clover is Trifolium repens. The name means three-leaved creeper. It is native to Europe, intentionally introduced here as a green fertilizer. It used to be included with most any lawn grass seed, as it will cover areas that the grass would not. Nowadays it generally isn't included as the trend is toward pure stands of grass only.
The stems can root at any node, so they form mats of vegetation. The white lines on the leaves are distinctive, but not always present.
clovers work with bacteria in their root system to fix nitrogen in the soil. According to Hopkins, the bacteria need an oxygen-free environment to do their thing. Clovers have nodules in their roots which are pink because they contain hemoglobin (yes, the same substance that carries oxygen in red blood cells) to remove any stray oxygen from near the bacteria. Wow.
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