Contains 20 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Classification
Citation
DESMODIUM Desvaux, J. Bot. Agric. 1: 122, pl. 5(15). 1813, nom. cons. vs. Meibomia Heister ex Fabricius 1759, et vs. Grona Loureiro 1790, et vs. Pleurolobus J. Saint-Hilaire 1812.
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TYPE: Desmodium scorpiurus (Swartz) Desvaux, typ. cons. (Hedysarum scorpiurus Swartz)
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desmodium canescens | Hoary Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium ciliare | Hairy Smallleaf Ticktrefoil | |||
| Desmodium cuspidatum | Large-bracted Tick- trefoil | |||
| Desmodium fernaldii | Fernald's Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium floridanum | Florida Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium glabellum | Tall Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium laevigatum | Smooth Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium lineatum | Matted Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium marilandicum | Maryland Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium nuttallii | Nuttall’s Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium obtusum | Stiff Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium paniculatum var. epetiolatum | Panicledleaf Ticktrefoil, Panicled Ticktrefoil | |||
| Desmodium paniculatum var. paniculatum | Panicledleaf Ticktrefoil, Panicled Ticktrefoil | |||
| Desmodium perplexum | Perplexing Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium rotundifolium | Roundleaf Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium sessilifolium | Sessile-leaf Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium strictum | Pineland Tick-trefoil, Pinebarren Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium tenuifolium | Slimleaf Tick-trefoil | |||
| Desmodium tortuosum | Dixie Ticktrefoil | |||
| Desmodium viridiflorum | Velvety Tick-trefoil |
Identification Key
1. Plant mostly <40 cm tall; stems viny, prostrate, stoloniferous, decumbent, to ascending, rarely self-supporting >40 cm tall
2
1. Plant usually 50-200 cm tall; stems erect to ascending
8
2. Leaflets 0.5-1 cm long; flowers 1-4 in an axillary fascicle
2. Terminal leaflets mostly >1 cm long; flowers numerous in an axillary or terminal raceme or panicle
3
3. Terminal leaflets <2.1 cm wide, sometimes variegated; fruit straight on the top margin or 1-2 mm wide and undulate on both margins; often of weedy habits
4
3. Larger terminal leaflets >2 cm wide, not variegated; fruit undulate or incised on top and bottom margin; associated with woodlands
6
4. Stipules 2-4 mm long; fruit 1-2 mm wide, the top and bottom margins similar and shallowly undulate
4. Stipules 3-8 mm long; fruit 2-4 mm wide, the top margin straight and the bottom margin undulate-incised
5
5. Leaflet often emarginate at the apex, the terminal leaf obovate, the lateral veins mostly flat with the surface; primary bracts dense and entirely covering flower buds; fruit incised less than ½ the fruit width, the distal beak usually offset from the top margin
5. Leaflet obtuse at the apex, the terminal leaf elliptic, ovate, or elliptic-obovate, the lateral veins often impressed on the upper surface and prominulous on the lower surface; primary bracts not dense, not covering the flower buds; fruit incised ca. ½ or more the fruit width, the distal beak nearly continuous with the top margin
6. Stipules not clasping the stem, 2-8 mm long, sometimes quickly deciduous
6. Stipules slightly to strongly clasping the stem, larger ones 6-12 mm long, persistent
7
7. Leaflets mostly ovate, 1.2-1.9 times longer than wide; corolla white, pinkish, to yellowish; fruit uncinate mostly only on the margin
7. Leaflets generally suborbicular, 0.8-1.1 times longer than wide; corolla pale pink to violet; fruit uncinate over the entire surface
8. Leaflet underside sparsely pilose; inflorescence densely sticky-glandular from trichomes especially glandular-swollen at the base; fruit often twisted
8. Leaflet underside usually uncinate, puberulent, to villous only; inflorescence non-glandular; fruit typically not twisted
9
9. Leaflets linear to linear-lanceolate, the terminal one < 14 mm wide
10
9. Leaflets ovate, elliptic, to suborbicular, the terminal one > 15 mm wide
13
10. Leaflet venation scarcely or occasionally pronounced, the lateral veins mostly ascending or arcuate
11
10. Leaflet venation pronounced, the lateral veins mostly nearly perpendicular to the midrib
12
11. Stem conspicuously uncinate-puberulent; petioles 1-4 mm long; fruit segments rounded along the lower margin
11. Stem glabrate; petioles mostly 4-60 mm long; fruit segments roughly triangular on the lower margin
12. Fruit nearly straight on the top margin, deeply incised on the bottom margin; of xeric sites
12. Fruit incised on both margins, slightly moreso on the bottom margin; of mesic to hydric sites
Stem glabrate or minutely uncinate-puberulent; petioles 2-15 mm long;.
13. Stipules persistent, 2-4 mm wide, 4-20 mm long
14
13. Stipules often deciduous, mm wide, 2-8 mm long
16
14. Upper stem and inflorescence axis pilose to villous and uncinate
14. Upper stem and inflorescence axis glabrous to uncinate only
15
15. Leaflets lacking conspicuous reticulate venation, acute-acuminate at the apex, basal leaves only 3-foliolate; corolla 8-12 mm long; loment segments 4-6, 9-11 mm long
15. Leaflets with conspicuous reticulate venation that is prominulous on the lower surface, obtuse to subacute at the tip, basal leaves sometimes 1-foliolate; corolla 6-7 mm long; loment segments 2-4, each 5-7 mm long
16. Loment segments 2-3, rounded on both margins and more strongly so on the bottom margin
17
16. Loment segments 3-5, shallowly undulate on the top margin and somewhat triangular on the bottom margin
19
17. Terminal leaflet 3-7 cm long, >1.5 times longer than the lateral leaflets (sometimes more similar in size on basal leaves)
17. Terminal leaflet 1-3 cm long, <1.5 times longer than the lateral leaflets
18
18. Petiole 1-3(-5) mm long; stem and petiole usually pilose; pedicel 3-8 mm long
18. Petiole 2.5-10 mm long; stem and petiole glabrous to sparsely uncinate; pedicel 8-15 mm long
19. Stem densely pubescent; leaflet underside villous to cinereous
20
19. Stem glabrate, pilose, to moderately uncinate-pubescent; leaflet underside glabrous to pubescent
21
20. Leaflets 1.5-2.2 times longer than wide; fruit often curved, with 2-4 segments
20. Leaflets mostly 1-1.5 times longer than wide, the underside; fruit typically straight, with 3-6 segments
21. Stem glabrous; leaflets glabrous
21. Stem glabrate to pubescent; leaflets pubescent on the lower surface
22
22. Leaflets uncinate-pubescent only on the veins of the underside
22. Leaflets strigose, subappressed villous, or uncinate-pubescent on the lower surface
23
23. Leaflets mostly 3-10 times longer than wide, usually with scant or sparse pubescence, the hairs <0.5 mm long or occasionally with longer hairs
23. Leaflets 1.5-4 times longer than wide, usually with moderate pubescence, sometimes only on the petioles, the hairs usually >0.5 mm long
24
24. Stem and petiole pilose
24. Stem and petiole uncinate-pubescent
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| No synonyms found. | |||