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prostrate ticktrefoil, round-leaf tick-trefoil, round-leaf trailing tick-trefoil

Habit Herbs, perennial.
Stems

prostrate, (50–)100–200(–300) cm, villous and uncinate-puberulent.

Leaves

trifoliolate;

stipules mostly persistent, reflexed, broadly ovate, 5–12 mm, base obliquely cordate, subamplexicaul;

petiole 2–4.6 mm;

leaflet blades transversely elliptic, orbiculate, or broadly ovate, apex emarginate, retuse, rounded, or obtuse, surfaces densely spreading-villous abaxially, appressed-villous adaxially;

terminal blade 20–60 × 25–55 mm, length 0.8–1.2 times width.

Inflorescences

terminal or axillary and erect, usually unbranched, rarely branched;

rachis shortly hirsute or sparsely uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts broadly ovate, 5–6 mm.

Pedicels

(5–)10–15 mm.

Flowers

calyx (4–)5–6 mm, uncinate-puberulent and sparsely pilose, tube 1.5 mm;

abaxial lobes 3–5 mm, lateral lobes 3.5–4.5 mm;

corolla pink, fading blue-purple, 9–11 mm.

Loments

sutures deeply crenate abaxially, crenate adaxially;

connections adaxial, 1/6–1/4 as broad as segments;

segments 3–6(or 7), subrhombic to elliptic, 4.5–7.5 × 4–5 mm, reticulate, obtusely angled abaxially, convex adaxially, uncinate-puberulent throughout;

stipe 3–6 mm.

2n

= 22.

Desmodium rotundifolium

Phenology Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Open woodlands, bottoms of steep uplands, borders, recently cleared areas, ruderal sites.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WV; ON
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Discussion

Desmodium rotundifolium, with relatively small leaflets, resembles 15. D. lineatum, which has loments with 2–4 segments and uncinate stem hairs (D. Isely 1998).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa 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. rosei, D. scopulorum, D. scorpiurus, D. sessilifolium, D. strictum, D. tenuifolium, D. tortuosum, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
Synonyms Hedysarum rotundifolium, D. rotundifolium var. glabratum, Meibomia rotundifolia
Name authority de Candolle in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 2: 330. (1825)
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