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Lindheimer's ticktrefoil

Dixie tick trefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

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

erect, 50–200 cm, medially uncinate-pubescent and patent-villous.

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, often patent or reflexed, obliquely ovate and apex acuminate or narrowly ovate and apex aristate, 3–12.5 mm, base amplexicaul;

petiole 8–50 mm;

leaflet blades narrowly ovate to ovate, elliptic, or rhombic, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces obscurely prominently reticulate-veined abaxially, uncinate-puberulent and strigose or subappressed-villous;

terminal blade (20–)40–150 × 10–50 mm, length 2–3 times width.

Inflorescences

usually unbranched;

rachis densely patent uncinate-pubescent;

primary bracts broadly ovate, 4.5–7 mm.

branched or unbranched;

rachis villous (often with bulbous hairs) and uncinate-puberulent, or only uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts caducous, narrowly ovate, 4 mm.

Pedicels

5 mm.

10–15 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 1.5–3 mm, uncinate-puberulent, tube to 1 mm;

abaxial lobes 2 mm, lateral lobes 1 mm;

corolla lavender, 4–6 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.

margins alternately involute and revolute, sutures equally crenate, twisted conspicuously when young;

connections central, 1/4 as broad as segments;

segments (3 or)4–7, orbiculate, broadly elliptic, or rhombic, 3–4.5 × 3–3.5 mm, rounded abaxially and adaxially, densely uncinate-pubescent;

stipe 0.5–1 mm.

2n

= 22.

Desmodium lindheimeri

Desmodium tortuosum

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall (year-round).
Habitat Rocky ravines, oak-juniper woodlands. Open, dis­turbed sites, ruderal areas, pinelands, savannas.
Elevation 200–300 m. (700–1000 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chiapas, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; Central America; South America; Mexico (Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora); West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[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.)

Desmodium tortuosum is most easily distinguished from its relatives by the thick leaflets with prominent reticulate venation, the large persistent stipules, and the long, stiff, ascending to spreading pedicels (B. G. Schubert 1980).

(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. psilocarpum, D. psilophyllum, D. retinens, D. rosei, D. rotundifolium, D. scopulorum, D. scorpiurus, D. sessilifolium, D. strictum, D. tenuifolium, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
Synonyms Meibomia lindheimeri Hedysarum tortuosum, Meibomia purpurea, M. tortuosa
Name authority Vail: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 120. (1891) (Swartz) de Candolle in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 2: 332. (1825)
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