Desmodium strictum

Desmodium strictum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae
Genus:	Desmodium
Species:	D. strictum
Binomial name
Desmodium strictum (Pursh) DC.
Natural range of Desmodium strictum from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: pine barren ticktrefoil

Ecology

Habitat

It occurs throughout the southeastern U.S. coastal plain from TX to NJ (NRCS Plants Database). Occur in open, frequently burned upland longleaf and shortleaf pine native and old-field communities (Ultisols) (Coffee and Kirkman 2006, FSU Herbarium), longleaf pine-turkey oak sandhills (Entisols), longleaf and slash pine flatwoods (Spodosols) (FSU Herbarium). It can live in areas dominated by Ultisol soils with temperatures ranging from 11 to 27 degrees Celsius, and with 132 cm of annual rainfall (Coffey and Kirkman 2006). It is found in open, frequently burned longleaf pine forest in loamy sand, sandy loam, "red sandy clay hill" soils, cutover pine-mixed hardwood slope with weedy shrubs and herbs (FSU Herbarium). It is associated with longleaf pine commuities (Coffey and Kirkman 2006), longleaf pine-wiregrass, flatwoods slashpine woods, mesic pine flatwoods, edge of pine-hardwood stand, old-field frequently burned upland pine woodland, longleaf pine-turkey oak sand ridge, high sand ridge, open upland woodland at Torreya SP, longleaf pine sandhills, "clobbered slash pine forest", shaded pine-oak woods,upper slope of Pittman Dam, highway right-of-way (FSU Herbarium). It occurs with D. viridiflorum, D. floridanum, D. glabellum, D. canescens, D. marilandicum (FSU herbarium). It occurs on a wide range of soil types from sand to sandy loam and eroded sandy clay areas (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

Flowers in September and October and fruits September-November (FSU Herbarium).

Seed bank and germination

Because Desmodium strictum lacks a hard seed coat, it is not capable of forming long-term persistent seed banks, but rather germinates readily within one year following dispersal (Coffey and Kirkman 2006). This suggests that D. strictum does not exhibit the strong physical dormancy attributed to an impermeable seed coat many other legumes do (i.e., it lacks a hard seed coat) (Coffey and Kirkman 2006).

Fire ecology

It thrives in frequently burned (1-2 year interval) habitats (Coffey and Kirkman 2006, FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

Coffey, K. L. and L. K. Kirkman (2006). "Seed germination strategies of species with restoration potential in a fire-maintained pine savanna." Natural Areas Journal 26: 289-299.

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: L. C. Anderson, R. K. Godfrey, V. Sullivan, J. Wooten, R. Kral, James R. Ray Jr., John Morrill, Robert L. Lazor, Andre F. Clewell, and T. MacClendon. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Bradford, Franklin, Gadsden, Hernando, Jackson, Leon, Putnam, Taylor, Wakulla, and Walton. Georgia: Baker, Grady, and Thomas.

NRCS Plants Database http://plants.usda.gov/java