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Sonoran ticktrefoil

Habit Herbs, annual.
Stems

erect or ascending, usually striate, branched, 10–80 cm, pubescent.

Leaves

trifoliolate;

stipules caducous, narrowly deltate to subulate, 3–4 mm;

petiole 10–40 mm;

leaflet blades narrowly ovate to ovate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces densely uncinate-puberulent and pilose abaxially, uncinate-puberulent and pilose adaxially;

terminal blade 20–100 × 7–25 mm, length 4–8 or 2–3 times width.

Inflorescences

branched or unbranched;

rachis uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts narrowly ovate, 1.4–2.6 mm.

Pedicels

5–15 mm.

Flowers

calyx 1–1.5 mm, puberulent, tube 0.5 mm;

abaxial lobes 1–1.5 mm, lateral lobes longer than tube;

corolla pink, drying greenish yellow, 3–4 mm.

Loments

sutures subequally incised, spirally arranged between young segments when young;

connections adaxial, 1/8 as broad as segments;

segments 2–4, proximal segments subrhombic, 4–6 × 2.5–3.5 mm, irregularly involute, uncinate-pubescent, distal segment semiorbiculate or broadly deltate, much larger than proximal segments, not contorted, 7–10 × 4–5 mm, glabrous, sutures uncinate-puberulent;

stipe 1 mm.

Desmodium scopulorum

Phenology Flowering fall.
Habitat Open grassy slopes, oak-pine wood­lands.
Elevation 800–1800 m. (2600–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In the flora area, Desmodium scopulorum is known from Pima and Santa Cruz counties.

(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. rotundifolium, D. scorpiurus, D. sessilifolium, D. strictum, D. tenuifolium, D. tortuosum, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
Synonyms D. wigginsii, Meibomia scopulorum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 24: 47. (1889)
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