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rose tickclover, Rose's ticktrefoil

slimleaf tick trefoil

Habit Herbs, annual; with slender taproot. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

erect, usually striate, 10–50 cm, obscurely uncinate-puberulent or glabrescent.

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

Leaves

trifoliolate;

stipules persistent, patent, subulate or narrowly deltate (from broad base), 2–3 mm;

petiole 10–35 mm;

leaflet blades linear to narrowly oblong, apex obtuse, surfaces sparsely uncinate-puberulent;

terminal blade 20–70 × 2–5 mm, length 7+ 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

usually unbranched;

rachis sparsely patent uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts usually persistent, subulate, patent, 1.5–4 mm.

branched or unbranched;

rachis uncinate-pubescent and villous;

primary bracts ovate, 2.5 mm.

Pedicels

15–20(–25) mm.

5–10 mm.

Flowers

calyx 1 mm, sparsely puberulent, tube 0.8–1 mm;

abaxial lobes 1 mm, lateral lobes 1 mm;

corolla pink or pink-purple, 3–3.5 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

margins sometimes slightly involute, sutures equally crenate;

connections central, 1/5 as broad as segments;

segments 2–4, rounded, 3–3.5 × 3 mm, rounded abaxially and adaxially, inconspicuously reticulate, glabrous;

stipe 1–1.5 mm.

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 rosei

Desmodium tenuifolium

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall. Flowering late summer.
Habitat Dry, open woodlands, with yucca, desert shrubs, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, on ledges. Moist pine savannas, grass-sedge marshes, pocosins, borders, alluvial woodlands, ditches, moist ruderal areas.
Elevation 1000–2400 m. (3300–7900 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora, Zacatecas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Desmodium rosei is known in the flora area from southeastern Arizona and 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. lindheimeri, D. lineatum, D. marilandicum, D. metcalfei, D. nuttallii, D. ochroleucum, D. paniculatum, D. procumbens, D. psilocarpum, D. psilophyllum, D. retinens, 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 tenuifolia
Name authority B. G. Schubert: Contr. Gray Herb. 129: 22, plate 1, fig. A. (1940) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 363. (1840)
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