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

Illinois tickclover, Illinois ticktrefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, branched or unbranched, 50–100 cm, medially uncinate-pubescent, sometimes also ± pilose.

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 persistent, ovate, 8–15 mm, base amplexicaul, pilose-ciliate;

petiole 30–50 mm;

leaflet blades narrowly ovate to ovate, thick, papery, apex acute to rounded, surfaces conspicuously reticulate-veined abaxially, uncinate-puberulent on veins abaxially, sparsely spreading-villous or glabrous adaxially;

terminal blade 35–80 × 30–70 mm, length 1.5–3 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 patent-pilose and uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts narrowly ovate, 4–5 mm.

Pedicels

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

7–15(–23) 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 4–5 mm, uncinate-puberulent and pilose, tube 2–3 mm;

abaxial lobes 2.5 mm, lateral lobes 2 mm;

corolla purplish, 6–8 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 equally crenate;

connections central, 1/2–4/5 as broad as segments;

segments 4–7, elliptic or suborbiculate, 4–7 × 3.5–5 mm, symmetrically convex abaxially and adaxially, densely uncinate-puberulent and villous;

stipe 2–4 mm.

Desmodium cuspidatum

Desmodium illinoense

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer(–fall).
Habitat Rich, moist woodlands, thickets, openings, dry, rocky woodlands, ruderal areas. Prairie relics, thickets, road­sides.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 100–500 m. (300–1600 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
AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; MI; MN; MO; NE; OH; OK; SD; TX; WI
[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.)

Desmodium illinoense is considered extirpated from Ontario, where it was collected once in 1888 near London.

(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. arizonicum, D. batocaulon, D. canadense, D. canescens, D. cinerascens, D. cuspidatum, D. floridanum, D. grahamii, D. gramineum, 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 illinoensis
Name authority (Muhlenberg ex Willdenow) de Candolle ex G. Don in J. C. Loudon: Hort. Brit., 309. (1830) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 289. (1870)
Web links