Difference between revisions of "Desmodium glabellum"

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==Description==  
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==Description== <!-- Basic life history facts such as annual/perrenial, monoecious/dioecious, root morphology, seed type, etc. -->
''D. glabellum'' is a perennial forb/herb of the Fabaceae family native to North America. <ref name= "USDA"> [https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CEAM USDA Plant Database]</ref>
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''D. glabellum'' is a perennial forb/herb of the Fabaceae family native to North America. <ref name= "USDA"> [https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CEAM USDA Plant Database]</ref> It reaches heights between 2 1/2 to 5 feet at maturity. Flowers are pink or purple, irregularly shaped, and have no aroma; when spent, flowers turn blue. Leaves alternate, egg-shaped with little to no point, and composed of 3 entire leaflets. Where the leaf is attached to the stem, there is either little or no stipule. Fruit has hooked hairs for animal translocation.<ref name= "fact"/>
<!-- Basic life history facts such as annual/perrenial, monoecious/dioecious, root morphology, seed type, etc. -->
 
  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==

Revision as of 14:56, 25 April 2019

Common Names: Ticktrefoil [1]; Smooth Beggarlice [2]; Tall Tick-trefoil [3]

Desmodium glabellum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicots
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Desmodium
Species: D. glabellum
Binomial name
Desmodium glabellum
(Michx.)
DESM GLAB DIST.JPG
Natural range of Desmodium glabellum from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Taxonomic Notes

Synonyms: Meibomia paniculata (Linnaeus) Kuntze; Meibomia pubens (Torrey & A. Gray) Rydberg; D. paniculatum (Linnaeus) A.P. de Candolle var. dillenii (Darlington) Isely

Varieties: none

Description

D. glabellum is a perennial forb/herb of the Fabaceae family native to North America. [1] It reaches heights between 2 1/2 to 5 feet at maturity. Flowers are pink or purple, irregularly shaped, and have no aroma; when spent, flowers turn blue. Leaves alternate, egg-shaped with little to no point, and composed of 3 entire leaflets. Where the leaf is attached to the stem, there is either little or no stipule. Fruit has hooked hairs for animal translocation.[4]

Distribution

The native distribution of D. glabellum is along hte United States east coast, west to Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. [1]

Ecology

Habitat

It can be found in its native distribution in woodland borders, fields, and other disturbed areas.[3] The ideal habitat for D. glabellum is with partial sun and dry conditions. Soil that has a rocky texture is ideal. Savannas, rocky upland forests, edges of more wooded areas, thickets and limestone glades are common regions for D. glabellum to be found. [1]

Phenology

D. glabellum has been observed to flower between August and October, with peak inflorescence in September. [5] Fruit production is between August and October.[3]

Seed dispersal

D. glabellum is a member of the pea family. It's pea pods or seeds have tiny hooked hairs on the shell that make them ideal for sticking to passing fur bearing animals for dispersal.[1] This species is thought to be dispersed by translocation on animal fur or feathers. [6]

Seed bank and germination

Firm seedbed is required for germination to be successful.[1]

Pollination

Bees are the primary pollinator for D. glabellum.[1]

Use by animals

Seeds from D. glabellum are eaten by birds and upland game birds, rodents, wild turkey, rabbits, groundhogs, livestock, and deer. [4]

Diseases and parasites

White mold has been observed to grow on D. glabellum. Adult Japanese beetles will feed on the plant's flowers and leaves. [4]

Conservation and Management

D. glabellum has been placed on the special concern list for the state of Connecticut. [1]

Cultivation and restoration

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 USDA Plant Database
  2. Davis, J., J. Eric, et al. (2002). "Vascular flora of Piedmont Prairies: Evidence from several prairie remnants." Castanea 67(1): 1-12.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Leif, J. W. (2009). Plant Fact Sheet: Dillenius' Tick-trefoil Desmodium glabellum. N.R.C.S. United States Department of Agriculture. Rose Lake Plant Materials Center, East Lansing, MI.
  5. Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 21 MAY 2018
  6. Kirkman, L. Katherine. Unpublished database of seed dispersal mode of plants found in Coastal Plain longleaf pine-grasslands of the Jones Ecological Research Center, Georgia.