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Dillen's tick-clover

Desmodium perplexum B. G. Schub.

[=Desmodium paniculatum (L.) DC. var. dillenii (J. Darl.) Isley ]

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Dillen's tick-clover leaves
Dillen's tick-clover inflorescence
Dillen's tick-clover leaves
Dillen's tick-clover
Dillen's tick-clover leaves
Dillen's tick-clover flowers
Dillen's tick-clover loment
Dillen's tick-clover flowers
Dillen's tick-clover leaf
Dillen's tick-clover loment
Dillen's tick-clover loment
Dillen's tick-clover leaf

Morphology

Stem
Ascending to erect, usually branched above, sparsely to densely pilose, often also with minute hooked hairs.
Leaves
Alternate, odd-pinnately compound, stipules narrowly lanceolate to linear, 1/12 to 1/4 inch long, less than 1/25 inch wide; petiole .6 to 2 inches; leaflets 3, ovate to broadly elliptic or lanceolate, base rounded to truncate, margins entire, tip obtuse to acute, surfaces sparsely to moderately spreading-pubescent, veins of lower surface not conspicuously raised; terminal leaflet 1.2 to 2.75 inches long, .4 to 1.6 inch wide; lateral leaflets .8 to 2.75 inches long, .4 to 1.6 inch wide.
Inflorescence
Racemes, axillary and terminal, branched; axis pilose and with minute hooked hairs; bracts ovate, 1/16 to 1/12 inch.
Flower
Pedicels 1/6 to 1/3 inch; calyx cup-shaped, 1/8 to 1/6 inch; corolla papilionaceous, usually pink to lavender, .2 to .4 inch, often with lighter pair of spots at base of banner; stamens 10, united in two groups.
Fruit
Loments straight, segments (2-)3-5, triangular to rhombic in outline, margins obtusely angled abaxially, rounded to obtusely angled adaxially, .2 to .27 inch by .14 to .27 inch. Seeds 1 per segment, tan, ca. 1/6 inch, smooth.

Ecology

Habitat
Floodplain, maple-basswood, oak-hickory, and post oak-black jack oak woodlands, thickets, tallgrass prairies, old fields, pastures, roadsides.
Distribution
East 1/3 of Kansas

Additional Notes

Comments

Desmodium, like a chain, alluding to the jointed legumes, and perplexum alluding to its perplexing taxonomy. Identification of Desmodium species can be difficult without the mature loments.

Synonyms

Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.

Scientific Name: Desmodium paniculatum

Full Citation: Desmodium paniculatum DC.


Subspecies/Varieties:

  • var. dillenii Isley
Quick Facts
Plant Type
Wildflower
Family
Fabaceae - Bean Family
Life Span
Perennial
Height
20-60 inches
Origin
Native
Last Updated
2018-02-22
Color Groups
Pink, Red & Orange Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Blooms: July, August, September