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creeping tick trefoil, matty desmodium, three-flower beggarweed, threeflower ticktrefoil, tropical trefoil

Metcalfe's ticktrefoil

Habit Herbs, annual or perennial, often mat-forming; stoloniferous. Herbs, perennial.
Stems

prostrate, densely branched, 20–80 cm, ascending-pilose or strigose.

erect or ascending, usually striate, angled, 30–90 cm, densely uncinate-puberulent.

Leaves

trifoliolate;

stipules persistent, narrowly ovate, 3–5 mm;

petiole 3–7.5 mm;

leaflet blades broadly obovate or cuneate-obovate, often folding downwards, apex emarginate, surfaces usually sparsely uncinate-puberulent or subappressed-pilose along midrib abaxially, rarely entire surface, glabrous adaxially;

terminal blade 5–10 × 3–11 mm, length 0.8–1.2 times width.

trifoliolate;

stipules caducous, linear-lanceolate, 1–4 mm;

petiole 3–13 mm;

leaflet blades somewhat paler abaxially, narrowly ovate-oblong, lateral slightly smaller than terminal, apex acute, lateral veins looped within margin, margins revolute, surfaces strigulose;

terminal blade 30–80 × 6–20 mm, length 3–5 times width.

Inflorescences

terminal fascicles opposite distal leaf, appearing axillary, unbranched;

rachis pubescent;

primary bracts narrowly ovate, 4 mm.

branched or unbranched;

rachis densely uncinate-puberulent;

primary bracts caducous, broadly deltate, 6 mm.

Pedicels

8–12 mm.

7–10 mm.

Flowers

calyx 2.5–3 mm, appressed-pubescent, tube 1.2 mm;

abaxial lobes 1.5–1.7 mm, lateral lobes 1.5–1.7 mm, adaxial lobes deeply 2-toothed;

corolla pale pink to purplish, 4–5 mm, keel distinctly longer than wings.

calyx 4 mm, glabrous, tube 1.5–2 mm;

abaxial lobes 2 mm, lateral lobes 1.5–2 mm;

corolla purple, 10–12 mm.

Loments

sutures weakly crenate abaxially, with broad connection between segments, barely sinuate adaxially;

connections 2/3–4/5 as broad as segments;

segments 3–5, nearly square, 2.5–3.5 × 2.5–3 mm, symmetrically convex abaxially, slightly concave adaxially, inconspicuously uncinate-pubescent or glabrescent;

stipe 0 mm.

sutures ± deeply crenate abaxially, crenate adaxially;

connections slightly adaxial, 1/2 as broad as segments, sometimes contorted (twisted);

segments 2–5, elliptic, 5–6 × 3 mm, rounded abaxially, slightly rounded adaxially, uncinate-pubescent throughout;

stipe 1–2 mm.

2n

= 22.

Desmodium triflorum

Desmodium metcalfei

Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Ruderal areas, lawns, disturbed open woodlands. Rocky slopes, canyons, ditches.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.) 1400–2000 m. (4600–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; LA; Central America; South America; Mexico (Jalisco, Sinaloa); West Indies; Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Sinaloa)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Inflorescences of Desmodium triflorum are produced opposite the leaf at the distal end of stem and are usually described as axillary. The branching system of D. triflorum is a monopodial sympodium and the inflorescences are terminal (H. Ohashi and T. Nemoto 1986). Evolution of inflorescences in Desmodium is inferred from comparative morphology and anatomy with Campylotropis, Kummerowia, and Lespedeza (Nemoto and Ohashi 1990, 1993, 1996).

Based on molecular and morphological data, H. Ohashi and K. Ohashi (2018) transferred Desmodium triflorum and the other species formerly in Desmodium sects. Nicolsonia (de Candolle) Bentham and Sagotia (Duchassaing & Walpers) Bentham to the genus Grona Loureiro.

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

In the flora area, Desmodium metcalfei is known from Coconino and Yavapai counties in central Arizona, and from 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. tenuifolium, D. tortuosum, 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. 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. tenuifolium, D. tortuosum, D. triflorum, D. tweedyi, D. viridiflorum, D. ×humifusum
Synonyms Hedysarum triflorum, Grona triflora, Meibomia triflora, Sagotia triflora Meibomia metcalfei
Name authority (Linnaeus) de Candolle in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 2: 334. (1825) (Rose & Painter) Kearney & Peebles: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 29: 485. (1939)
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