Desmodium strictum |
Desmodium ochroleucum |
|
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pine barren ticktrefoil |
cream ticktrefoil |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial. | Herbs, perennial. |
Stems | ascending or erect, usually striate, unbranched to inflorescence, 50–100 cm, uncinate-puberulent. |
decumbent or prostrate, 50–100 cm, patent-villous and uncinate-puberulent. |
Leaves | trifoliolate; stipules mostly persistent, linear to narrowly ovate-deltate, 2–5 mm; petiole 6.5–18 mm; leaflet blades linear to narrowly oblong, usually folded and appearing narrower, leathery, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces reticulate-veined adaxially, glabrous or sparsely puberulent abaxially, glabrous adaxially; terminal blade 35–60(–80) × 4–7 mm, length 8–10 times width. |
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. |
Inflorescences | branched or unbranched; rachis densely uncinate-puberulent to pubescent; primary bracts narrowly lanceolate-triangular, 1.4–2 mm. |
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. |
Pedicels | 5–13 mm. |
10–20 mm. |
Flowers | calyx 2.5–3.5 mm, uncinate-puberulent to pubescent on lobes, tube 1 mm; abaxial lobes 2–2.5 mm, lateral lobes 1.5–2 mm; corolla pink or purple, 4 mm. |
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. |
Loments | sutures deeply crenate abaxially, with narrow connection between segments, nearly straight adaxially, slightly sinuate at isthmus; connections adaxial, 1/5 as broad as segments; segments 1 or 2(or 3), semiorbiculate, 4.5–6 × 3–4 mm, symmetrically rounded abaxially, incipiently or plainly concave adaxially, densely uncinate-puberulent, more densely on sutures; stipe 1.5 mm. |
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). |
2n | = 22. |
|
Desmodium strictum |
Desmodium ochroleucum |
|
Phenology | Flowering late summer–fall. | Flowering summer–fall. |
Habitat | Dry woodland, barren sandhills, ruderal areas. | Open woodland, roadsides. |
Elevation | 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) | 30–500 m. (100–1600 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; DC; DE; FL; GA; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OK; SC; TX; VA
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AL; DC; DE; FL; GA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; TN; VA |
Discussion | Desmodium strictum is mostly restricted to dry, sandy soils along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Because of the close similarities between D. strictum and D. tenuifolium, mature fruits are necessary to distinguish the two species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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 | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Hedysarum strictum, Meibomia stricta | Meibomia ochroleuca |
Name authority | (Pursh) de Candolle in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 2: 329. (1825) | M. A. Curtis ex Canby: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 16: 17. (1864) |
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