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hoary tick-trefoil, hoary tickclover

large-bract 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, 50–150 cm, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely uncinate-pubescent or pilose.

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 usually persistent, narrowly ovate or subulate, 10–20 mm;

petiole 40–70 mm;

leaflet blades ovate to broadly ovate, apex sharply acuminate to shortly cuspidate, surfaces glabrous (except veins spreading-villosulous);

terminal blade 50–120 × 30–70 mm, length 1.5–3 times width.

Inflorescences

paniclelike, branched;

rachis densely patent bulbous-villous and uncinate-puberulent;

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

branched;

rachis densely uncinate-pubescent to rarely glabrescent;

primary bracts conspicuously covering apex of inflorescences, narrowly ovate, 8–14 mm.

Pedicels

persistent, 8–13 mm.

4–8 mm, densely patent uncinate-puberulent and sparsely pilose.

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, glabrate, margins sparsely ciliate, lobes pilose, tube 1.5–2 mm;

abaxial lobes 3–4 mm, lateral lobes 2–3 mm;

corolla purple, 8–12 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 dentate abaxially, sinuate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/2 as broad as segments;

segments (1–)4–7, obliquely narrow-rhombic or suborbiculate, (7–)9–11 × 4–5 mm, angled abaxially, slightly convex adaxially, sparsely uncinate-puberulent, sutures densely uncinate-puberulent;

stipe 1–2.5 mm.

2n

= 22.

Desmodium canescens

Desmodium cuspidatum

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Open, dry woodlands, cutover areas, thickets, roadsides. Rich, moist woodlands, thickets, openings, dry, rocky woodlands, ruderal areas.
Elevation 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.) 0–1000 m. (0–3300 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
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON
[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 Texas, Desmodium cuspidatum is known only from Bowie County, at the northeastern corner of the state.

(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. batocaulon, D. canadense, D. canescens, D. cinerascens, 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 Hedysarum cuspidatum, D. bracteosum, D. cuspidatum var. longifolium, D. grandiflorum, Meibomia grandiflora, M. longifolia
Name authority (Linnaeus) Poiret in F. Cuvier: Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 13: 110. (1819) (Muhlenberg ex Willdenow) de Candolle ex G. Don in J. C. Loudon: Hort. Brit., 309. (1830)
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