The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

hoary tick-trefoil, hoary tickclover

San Pedro tick trefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

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

decumbent or decumbent-assurgent, branched, 30–120 cm, densely uncinate-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.

tri-foliolate;

stipules caducous, narrowly ovate, 5+ mm;

petiole 20–30 mm;

leaflet blades ovate-elliptic to narrowly so, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces densely appressed-pubescent abaxially, sparsely so adaxially;

terminal blade (20–)35–60 × 8–10(–15) mm, length 2.5–4 times width.

Inflorescences

paniclelike, branched;

rachis densely patent bulbous-villous and uncinate-puberulent;

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

axillary and terminal, branched or unbranched;

rachis patent uncinate-puberulent to pubescent;

primary bracts closely imbricate before anthesis, caducous, ovate, 5 mm.

Pedicels

persistent, 8–13 mm.

5–10 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 3–4 mm, sparsely pubescent, tube 1 mm;

abaxial lobes 3 mm, lateral lobes 2 mm;

corolla pink or purple to blue, 7–9 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, sinuate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/4–1/3 as broad as segments;

segments 4–7, semiorbiculate, 3–5 × 3–3.5 mm, rounded abaxially, slightly convex adaxially, glabrous or sparsely uncinate-puberulent throughout;

stipe 1–2 mm.

2n

= 22.

Desmodium canescens

Desmodium batocaulon

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Open, dry woodlands, cutover areas, thickets, roadsides. Dry, rocky woodlands, pine or oak-juniper woodlands, canyons, roadsides.
Elevation 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.) 1200–2100 m. (3900–6900 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, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
[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 batocaulon is known from southeastern Arizona and southwestern 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. arizonicum, 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 batocaulos
Name authority (Linnaeus) Poiret in F. Cuvier: Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 13: 110. (1819) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 47. (1853)
Web links