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Lindheimer's ticktrefoil

hoary tick-trefoil, hoary tickclover

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

erect, branched, angled and grooved, 40–60 cm, uncinate-puberulent and -pubescent, also sparsely pilose.

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

Leaves

trifoliolate;

stipules ± persistent, reflexed, broadly or obliquely ovate, 7–8 mm, base subamplexicaul;

petiole 10–50 mm;

leaflet blades usually ovate, rhombic to broadly ovate, or semiorbiculate, rarely narrowly ovate, base truncate or broadly obtuse, apex acute, surfaces densely villosulous abaxially, uncinate-puberulent and pilose adaxially;

terminal blade 50–100 × 40–75 mm, length usually less than 2 times width.

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.

Inflorescences

usually unbranched;

rachis densely patent uncinate-pubescent;

primary bracts broadly ovate, 4.5–7 mm.

paniclelike, branched;

rachis densely patent bulbous-villous and uncinate-puberulent;

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

Pedicels

5 mm.

persistent, 8–13 mm.

Flowers

calyx 2–2.5 mm, uncinate-puberulent, tube 1 mm;

abaxial lobes 1–1.5 mm, lateral lobes 0.7 mm;

corolla blue-green, 6–7 mm.

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.

Loments

margins ± involute and contorted, sutures deeply crenate abaxially, shallowly dentate adaxially;

connections central, 1/5 as broad as segments;

segments (1–)3–5, subrhombic to semiovate, 7–15 × 5–8 mm, rounded abaxially, obtusely angled adaxially, glabrous, sutures densely uncinate-pubescent;

stipe 2–3.5 mm.

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.

2n

= 22.

Desmodium lindheimeri

Desmodium canescens

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky ravines, oak-juniper woodlands. Open, dry woodlands, cutover areas, thickets, roadsides.
Elevation 200–300 m. (700–1000 ft.) 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chiapas, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
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]
Discussion

Desmodium lindheimeri resembles D. canescens and its relatives, especially D. ochroleucum, in having relatively large loments. It is common in its narrow range in the Edwards Plateau (Comal County) and is widespread in Mexico (M. Enquist 1995).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

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.)

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. cuspidatum, D. floridanum, D. grahamii, D. gramineum, D. illinoense, D. incanum, D. intortum, D. laevigatum, 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. 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 Meibomia lindheimeri Hedysarum canescens, Meibomia canescens
Name authority Vail: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 120. (1891) (Linnaeus) Poiret in F. Cuvier: Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 13: 110. (1819)
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