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hoary tick-trefoil, hoary tickclover

Arizona tick trefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched, 50–200 cm, conspicuously or sparsely villous and uncinate-pubescent.

erect or ascending, usually striate, sparsely branched, 20–80 cm, pubescent.

Leaves

trifoliolate;

stipules mostly persistent, usually reflexed, broadly or narrowly ovate, 5–13 mm, base oblique, often auriculate, subamplexicaul;

petiole 30–60 mm;

leaflet blades ovate, thick, papery, apex acute to gradually acuminate, surfaces densely uncinate-puberulent abaxially, uncinate-puberulent and pubescent on veins adaxially;

terminal blade 50–130 × 30–100 mm, length 1.5–2 times width.

trifoliolate;

stipules caducous, narrowly ovate, 6–8 mm;

petiole 1–5 mm;

leaflet blades narrowly oblong-elliptic to linear, apex acute, surfaces villosulous;

terminal blade 40–60 × 4–10 mm, length 3.5–10 times width.

Inflorescences

paniclelike, branched;

rachis densely patent bulbous-villous and uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts caducous, narrowly ovate, 4–6 mm.

usually unbranched;

rachis uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts caducous, broadly ovate, 4.5–5.5 mm.

Pedicels

persistent, 8–13 mm.

8–15 mm.

Flowers

calyx 3–5 mm, sparsely or densely puberulent, tube 1 mm;

abaxial lobes to 3 mm, lateral lobes 1 mm;

corolla usually purple to pinkish, rarely white, 9–13 mm.

calyx 3 mm, uncinate-puberulent, lobes pubescent, tube 1.2 mm;

abaxial lobes 2 mm, lateral lobes 1.5 mm;

corolla blue-purple, 5–6 mm.

Loments

sutures dentate or crenate abaxially, sinuate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/3–1/2 as broad as segments;

segments 4–6, broadly elliptic, 6.5–13 × 4–7 mm, obtusely angled abaxially becoming round, convex adaxially, uncinate-puberulent and villous, hairs particularly dense on sutures and between segments;

stipe 2.5–6 mm.

sutures undulate abaxially, crenate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/3 as broad as segments;

segments (2 or)3–5, semiorbiculate, 4–5(–6) × 4 mm, rounded abaxially, convex adaxially, uncinate-puberulent;

stipe 1–2 mm.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Desmodium canescens

Desmodium arizonicum

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Open, dry woodlands, cutover areas, thickets, roadsides. Oak-juniper or pine wood­lands, canyons, roadsides.
Elevation 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.) 1700–2500 m. (5600–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In Texas, Desmodium canescens is known from the eastern third of the state. In Florida, it occurs only in the panhandle region.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In the flora area, Desmodium arizonicum is known from southeastern Arizona and adjacent New Mexico.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Desmodium Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Desmodium
Sibling taxa
D. arizonicum, D. batocaulon, D. canadense, D. cinerascens, D. cuspidatum, D. floridanum, D. grahamii, D. gramineum, D. illinoense, D. incanum, D. intortum, D. laevigatum, D. lindheimeri, D. lineatum, D. marilandicum, D. metcalfei, D. nuttallii, D. ochroleucum, D. paniculatum, D. procumbens, D. psilocarpum, D. psilophyllum, D. retinens, D. rosei, D. rotundifolium, D. scopulorum, D. scorpiurus, D. sessilifolium, D. strictum, D. tenuifolium, D. tortuosum, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
D. batocaulon, D. canadense, D. canescens, D. cinerascens, D. cuspidatum, D. floridanum, D. grahamii, D. gramineum, D. illinoense, D. incanum, D. intortum, D. laevigatum, D. lindheimeri, D. lineatum, D. marilandicum, D. metcalfei, D. nuttallii, D. ochroleucum, D. paniculatum, D. procumbens, D. psilocarpum, D. psilophyllum, D. retinens, D. rosei, D. rotundifolium, D. scopulorum, D. scorpiurus, D. sessilifolium, D. strictum, D. tenuifolium, D. tortuosum, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
Synonyms Hedysarum canescens, Meibomia canescens Meibomia arizonica
Name authority (Linnaeus) Poiret in F. Cuvier: Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 13: 110. (1819) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 363. (1885)
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