The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

slimleaf tick trefoil

rose tickclover, Rose's ticktrefoil

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

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

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

Leaves

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.

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.

Inflorescences

branched or unbranched;

rachis uncinate-pubescent and villous;

primary bracts ovate, 2.5 mm.

usually unbranched;

rachis sparsely patent uncinate-puberulent;

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

Pedicels

5–10 mm.

15–20(–25) mm.

Flowers

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.

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.

Loments

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.

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.

Desmodium tenuifolium

Desmodium rosei

Phenology Flowering late summer. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Moist pine savannas, grass-sedge marshes, pocosins, borders, alluvial woodlands, ditches, moist ruderal areas. Dry, open woodlands, with yucca, desert shrubs, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, on ledges.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 1000–2400 m. (3300–7900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora, Zacatecas)
[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. rosei, D. rotundifolium, D. scopulorum, D. scorpiurus, D. sessilifolium, D. strictum, 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. rotundifolium, D. scopulorum, D. scorpiurus, D. sessilifolium, D. strictum, D. tenuifolium, D. tortuosum, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
Synonyms Meibomia tenuifolia
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 363. (1840) B. G. Schubert: Contr. Gray Herb. 129: 22, plate 1, fig. A. (1940)
Web links