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Lindheimer's ticktrefoil

Santa Cruz Island ticktrefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs or shrubs, perennial.
Stems

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

erect or ascending, branched, 40–100 cm, slightly uncinate-pubescent and pilose or glabrescent.

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, broadly ovate, 4–10 mm, base subamplexicaul;

petiole 30–40 mm;

leaflet blades broadly ovate-elliptic or ovate to narrowly ovate, apex acute, surfaces uncinate-puberulent;

terminal blade 20–70(–100) × 10–20(–50) mm, length 1.8–2 times width.

Inflorescences

usually unbranched;

rachis densely patent uncinate-pubescent;

primary bracts broadly ovate, 4.5–7 mm.

branched or unbranched;

rachis bulbous-villous and uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts caducous, subulate, 1 mm.

Pedicels

5 mm.

10–20 mm, patent uncinate-pubescent.

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 1.5–2 mm, pilose and uncinate-puberulent, tube 0.8 mm;

abaxial lobes 1 mm, lateral lobes 0.8–1 mm;

corolla pink-purple, fading greenish, 4–5 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 subequally deeply crenate;

connections central, 1/8–1/7 as broad as segments;

segments 3–6, rounded, 6–10 × 5–7 mm, rounded, sparsely pubescent, at least on sutures;

stipe 1(–2) mm.

Desmodium lindheimeri

Desmodium psilocarpum

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky ravines, oak-juniper woodlands. Woodland, grasslands, canyon slopes, streamsides.
Elevation 200–300 m. (700–1000 ft.) 1000–2000 m. (3300–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chiapas, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Nuevo León, Sonora, Tamaulipas)
[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.)

Desmodium psilocarpum is known in the flora area from southern Arizona and adjacent southwestern 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. 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. nuttallii, D. ochroleucum, D. paniculatum, D. procumbens, 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 psilocarpa
Name authority Vail: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 120. (1891) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 48. (1853)
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