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

Lindheimer's ticktrefoil

Nuttall's ticktrefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs or subshrubs, perennial.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, 30–100 cm, medially villous, uncinate-puberulent and -pubescent, scarcely pilose.

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 persistent, narrowly ovate or ovate, 3–6.5 mm;

petiole 5–30 mm;

leaflet blades ovate to narrowly ovate, base usually rounded, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces closely spreading-villous (often velvety) abaxially, slightly uncinate-puberulent on veins adaxially;

terminal blade 50–100 × 30–56 mm, length 1.5–2(–2.2) times width.

Inflorescences

usually unbranched;

rachis densely patent uncinate-pubescent;

primary bracts broadly ovate, 4.5–7 mm.

terminal and branched;

rachis patent uncinate-puberulent and pilose;

primary bracts ovate, 2–4 mm, usually villous.

Pedicels

5 mm.

4–10 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 2–3 mm, puberulent and sparsely pilose, tube 1 mm;

abaxial lobes 1.5–2 mm, lateral lobes 1 mm;

corolla purple or pink, 6–7 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 deeply crenate abaxially, sinuate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/4–1/3 as broad as segments;

segments 2–4, semiorbiculate, 4–7 × 3–4.5 mm, rounded abaxially, convex adaxially, often somewhat angled when young, uncinate-pubescent throughout;

stipe 3–4 mm.

Desmodium lindheimeri

Desmodium nuttallii

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky ravines, oak-juniper woodlands. Open woodlands and bor­ders, savannas, fields, 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; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
[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.)

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. 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. 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 Meibomia nuttallii
Name authority Vail: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 120. (1891) (Schindler) B. G. Schubert: Rhodora 52: 142. (1950)
Web links