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naked tick-trefoil

point-leaf tick-trefoil

Stems

dimorphic; leafy stems ascending to erect, unbranched, 10–50 cm, glabrous or sparsely pilose;

leafless or nearly leafless stems essentially peduncles arising from base of plant, erect, divergent, or spreading, to 70 cm.

monomorphic;

erect, unbranched, 30–80 cm, sparsely to densely patent- to ascending-pilose.

Leaves

3-foliolate, 4–7 usually whorled, sometimes scattered on stem;

stipules deciduous and rarely observed, linear, 2–2.5 mm;

petiole 4.5–12.5 cm;

leaflets usually estipellate, rarely partly stipellate, blades with sparsely pilose veins on both surfaces, sometimes glabrate adaxially;

lateral blades oblique, nearly as large as terminal;

terminal blade rhombic, elliptic, obovate, or orbiculate, 4.5–12 × 3–8 cm, apex acute or short-acuminate.

usually 3-foliolate, rarely unifoliolate, 6–8 usually whorled medially on stem, often with 1 or 2 alternate leaves proximally, sometimes scattered and alternate;

stipules often persistent, subulate to narrowly ovate, 8–12 mm;

petiole 6–14.5 cm;

leaflets estipellate, surfaces densely pubescent abaxially, sparsely appressed-pubescent adaxially;

lateral blades oblique, smaller than terminal;

terminal blade broadly ovate, 5–13 × 5–14 cm, apex abruptly acuminate.

Inflorescences

on peduncle arising from base of plant, branched;

rachis white-pilose and uncinate-puberulent;

primary bract narrowly ovate to subulate, 5 mm.

terminal, unbranched or branched;

rachis densely uncinate-puberulent and villous;

primary bract subulate to narrowly ovate, 5–9 mm.

Pedicels

slender, 10–25 mm, glabrous.

stout, 3–8 mm, uncinate-puberulent.

Flowers

calyx 1.5–2.5 mm, white-puberulent, hairs scattered, long, stiff;

corolla usually pink, rarely white, 6–9 mm, keel connate along abaxial margin (enclosing reproductive organs).

calyx 3–3.5 mm, white-puberulent, hairs scattered, long, stiff;

corolla usually pink-purple, rarely white, 5–7 mm, keel connate along abaxial margin (enclosing reproductive organs).

Loments

1–4-articulate;

segments asymmetrically depressed-obtriangular, 7–12 × 4–5 mm;

stipe (5–)10–22 mm, glabrous or glabrate.

1–4-articulate;

segments asymmetrically depressed-obovate, 7.5–11 × 4–7 mm;

stipe 4–10 mm, glabrous or glabrate.

2n

= 22.

Hylodesmum nudiflorum

Hylodesmum glutinosum

Phenology Flowering spring–summer(–fall). Flowering summer.
Habitat Deciduous wood­lands and borders, ravines, slopes, dry open woods. Rich woodlands, north-facing slopes, open dry woods and margins.
Elevation 50–150 m. (200–500 ft.) 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; QC; Mexico (Nuevo León, Puebla, San Luis Potosí)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Flower-bearing stems of Hylodesmum nudiflorum are usually leafless; occasionally one leaf will be present or, very rarely, multiple leaves. Rare plants with a whorl of leaves on flower-bearing stems most often occur after the vegetative stem has been extensively damaged; they superficially resemble H. glutinosum but retain the remainder of the vegetative and reproductive differences.

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

Desmodium grandiflorum de Candolle, a synonym of D. cuspidatum, has been widely misapplied to this species.

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

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Hylodesmum Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Hylodesmum
Sibling taxa
H. glutinosum, H. pauciflorum
H. nudiflorum, H. pauciflorum
Synonyms Hedysarum nudiflorum, Desmodium nudiflorum, Meibomia nudiflora Hedysarum glutinosum, Desmodium acuminatum, D. glutinosum, H. acuminatum, Meibomia acuminata, M. grandiflora var. chandonnetii
Name authority (Linnaeus) H. Ohashi & R. R. Mill: Edinburgh J. Bot. 57: 180. (2000) (Muhlenberg ex Willdenow) H. Ohashi & R. R. Mill: Edinburgh J. Bot. 57: 177. (2000)
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