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

large-bract tick-trefoil

Arizona tick trefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

erect or ascending, usually striate, 50–150 cm, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely uncinate-pubescent or pilose.

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

Leaves

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.

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

branched;

rachis densely uncinate-pubescent to rarely glabrescent;

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

usually unbranched;

rachis uncinate-puberulent;

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

Pedicels

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

8–15 mm.

Flowers

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.

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 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.

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.

Desmodium cuspidatum

Desmodium arizonicum

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Rich, moist woodlands, thickets, openings, dry, rocky woodlands, ruderal areas. Oak-juniper or pine wood­lands, canyons, roadsides.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 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; 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]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

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. 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
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 cuspidatum, D. bracteosum, D. cuspidatum var. longifolium, D. grandiflorum, Meibomia grandiflora, M. longifolia Meibomia arizonica
Name authority (Muhlenberg ex Willdenow) de Candolle ex G. Don in J. C. Loudon: Hort. Brit., 309. (1830) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 363. (1885)
Web links