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large-bract tick-trefoil

Santa Rita Mountain ticktrefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial, diffuse; base woody, rootstock woody.
Stems

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

erect, ascending, or procumbent, usually striate, 30–60(–100) cm, sparsely to densely pilose and uncinate-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, sometimes unifoliolate proximally;

stipules persistent, recurved, subulate, 2–3 mm;

petiole 7–25 mm;

leaflet blades usually oblong-ovate to narrowly so, sometimes broadly elliptic to oblong, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces sparsely uncinate-puberulent;

terminal blade 10–30(–35) × 8–10 mm, length 1–3.5 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, sometimes branched;

rachis patent uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts narrowly ovate, 2.5–3 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 1.5–2.5 mm, pubescent, tube 1 mm;

abaxial lobes 1.5 mm, lateral lobes 1 mm;

corolla pink-purple, 4–5 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 subequally crenate;

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

segments 2–7, rounded or broadly elliptic, 2.5–3 × 2.5 mm, abaxially and adaxially rounded, glabrous or slightly puberulent;

stipe 1–2 mm.

Desmodium cuspidatum

Desmodium retinens

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Rich, moist woodlands, thickets, openings, dry, rocky woodlands, ruderal areas. Wooded or grassy rocky slopes, oak or oak-pine forests.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 1400–2100 m. (4600–6900 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; Mexico; Central America (Guatemala)
[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 retinens is known in the flora area from Cochise, Graham, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties.

(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. 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. 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 D. wislizeni, Meibomia retinens
Name authority (Muhlenberg ex Willdenow) de Candolle ex G. Don in J. C. Loudon: Hort. Brit., 309. (1830) Schlechtendal: Linnaea 12: 311. (1838)
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