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cream ticktrefoil

slimleaf tick trefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

decumbent or prostrate, 50–100 cm, patent-villous and uncinate-puberulent.

ascending or erect, 50–100 cm, inconspicuously uncinate-puberulent.

Leaves

usually trifoliolate, rarely unifoliolate;

stipules persistent, reflexed in age, deltate or ovate, 5–12 mm, base obliquely cordate, subamplexicaul;

petiole 10–35 mm;

leaflet blades ovate, ± leathery, apex obtuse or sometimes acute, surfaces prominently reticulate-veined adaxially, uncinate-puberulent on veins or glabrescent abaxially, uncinate-puberulent adaxially;

terminal blade 30–75 × 22–53 mm, length 1.2–2 times width.

trifoliolate;

stipules caducous, narrowly deltate, 3 mm, glabrous;

petiole 5–20 mm;

leaflet blades linear, leathery, usually folded and appearing narrower, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces reticulate-veined adaxially, glabrous or sparsely puberulent abaxially, glabrous adaxially;

terminal blade 30–60(–80) × 5–7 mm, length 8–10 times width.

Inflorescences

ascending to erect, axillary distally and unbranched, sometimes also terminal and branched;

rachis pilose and uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts caducous, broadly ovate, 5–6 mm.

branched or unbranched;

rachis uncinate-pubescent and villous;

primary bracts ovate, 2.5 mm.

Pedicels

10–20 mm.

5–10 mm.

Flowers

calyx 3–4 mm, pilose and uncinate-puberulent, tube 1 mm;

abaxial lobes 3 mm, lateral lobes 1.2–1.5 mm, to 2.5 mm in fruit;

corolla white or ochroleucous, 7–8 mm.

calyx 1.5–2 mm, uncinate-puberulent, tube 0.8–1 mm;

abaxial lobes 1 mm, lateral lobes 0.7–0.8 mm;

corolla pink, 4–5 mm.

Loments

sutures deeply crenate abaxially, crenate adaxially, contorted by irregular folding of margins near or at connection between segments;

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

segments 3–5, suborbiculate to subrhombic, 7–10 × 5–8 mm, symmetrically rounded abaxially, convex adaxially, glabrous, sutures uncinate-pubescent;

stipe 0 mm (or indistinctly stipitate by narrowing proximal segment).

sutures crenate abaxially, sinuate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/3–1/2 as broad as segments;

segments (1 or)2 or 3, semiorbiculate, 3.5–5 × 3 mm, symmetrically rounded abaxially, convex adaxially, densely uncinate-puberulent throughout;

stipe 0.5–3 mm.

Desmodium ochroleucum

Desmodium tenuifolium

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering late summer.
Habitat Open woodland, roadsides. Moist pine savannas, grass-sedge marshes, pocosins, borders, alluvial woodlands, ditches, moist ruderal areas.
Elevation 30–500 m. (100–1600 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; DC; DE; FL; GA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; TN; VA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The range of Desmodium ochroleucum is highly fragmented, and only about a dozen populations are known. Fire suppression may have been responsible for closing the canopy in forests in which D. ochroleucum is usually found (R. W. Tyndall and P. L. Groller 2006).

(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. lindheimeri, D. lineatum, D. marilandicum, D. metcalfei, D. nuttallii, 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. tortuosum, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
Synonyms Meibomia ochroleuca Meibomia tenuifolia
Name authority M. A. Curtis ex Canby: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 16: 17. (1864) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 363. (1840)
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