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hoary tick-trefoil, hoary tickclover

greenleaf ticktrefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

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

prostrate or climbing, branched, angular (3-sided), 40–200 cm, uncinate-pubescent and villous.

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, sometimes caducous, ovate-deltate, 5.5–12 mm;

petiole 4–8 cm;

leaflet blades ovate, elliptic to broadly ovate, or rhombic, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces more densely sericeous abaxially, sparsely to densely sericeous adaxially;

terminal blade 35–100 × 24–60 mm, length 2.5–3 times width.

Inflorescences

paniclelike, branched;

rachis densely patent bulbous-villous and uncinate-puberulent;

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

branched or unbranched;

rachis patent-villous and uncinate-pubescent to puberulent;

primary bracts densely imbricate before anthesis, caducous, narrowly ovate, 7–10 mm.

Pedicels

persistent, 8–13 mm.

4–8 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 3–5 mm, sparsely puberulent throughout, lobes often villous, tube 1 mm;

abaxial lobes 4–5.5 mm, lateral lobes 2.5–4 mm;

corolla purple, fading blue-green, 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 crenate or somewhat angled abaxially, sinuate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/2 as broad as segments;

segments 5–9, semiorbiculate, 3–4 × 2–2.5 mm, obliquely rounded abaxially, slightly angled adaxially, uncinate-pubescent;

stipe 1–2 mm.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Desmodium canescens

Desmodium intortum

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Open, dry woodlands, cutover areas, thickets, roadsides. Open, grassy areas, roadsides.
Elevation 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.) 1000–1700 m. (3300–5600 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; Central America; Mexico (Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sonora, Veracruz) [Introduced in Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Australia]
[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 intortum is known only from Cochise County.

(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. cuspidatum, D. floridanum, D. grahamii, D. gramineum, D. illinoense, D. incanum, 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 intortum, D. sonorae, D. uncinatum, Meibomia intorta
Name authority (Linnaeus) Poiret in F. Cuvier: Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 13: 110. (1819) (Miller) Urban: Symb. Antill. 8: 292. (1920)
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