Desmodium rotundifolium

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

Description

Common Name: Prostrate ticktrefoil

Flowers may be blue or light purple in northern states (FSU Herbarium). In southern areas, fresh corollas are rosy pink, then fading into a whitish color with age (FSU Herbarium). Creeping and trailing habit and prostrate(FSU Herbarium).

Ecology

Habitat

Is found in mixed hardwoods including pines, oaks, and hickories (FSU Herbarium). Also found in lightly wooded hillsides, dry glacial drift, and open woods (FSU Herbarium). Requires shaded areas (FSU Herbarium). Is associated with drying sandy loam soil types (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

Has been observed flowering from August through October and fruiting in September (FSU Herbarium).

Fire ecology

Becomes more robust in response to fire (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014.

Collectors: L. C. Anderson, Wilson Baker, Patricia Elliot, H. Roth, V Craig, Bill Boothe, Marcia Boothe, Billie Bailey, G. W. Parmelee, H. A. Wahl, Norlan C. Henderson, Harry E. Ahles, R. S. Leisner, H. R. Reed, Charles M. Allen, Peter Raven, Tamra E. Raven, and R. Kral.

States and Counties: Indiana: Huntington. Florida: Gadsden, Jackson, and Liberty. Louisiana: Allen. Michigan: Barry. Mississippi: Pearl River. Missouri: Jefferson and Stone. North Carolina: Stanley. Pennsylvania: Bradford and Venango. Tennessee: Grundy.