Desmodium paniculatum

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Desmodium paniculatum
Desmodium paniculatum KMR 2011.JPG
Photo by Kevin Robertson
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicots
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Desmodium
Species: D. paniculatum
Binomial name
Desmodium paniculatum
L.
DESM PANI DIST.JPG
Natural range of Desmodium paniculatum from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common Name(s): panicledleaf ticktrefoil;[1] panicled tick trefoil[2]

Taxonomic Notes

Varieties: D. paniculatum var. paniculatum; D. paniculatum var. epetiolatum[1][3]

Description

Desmodium paniculatum is a facultative upland dioecious perennial forb/herb.[1]

Distribution

Ecology

Habitat

D. paniculatum is found in pine savannas, flatwoods, bogs, fields, woodland borders, and disturbed areas.[3]

Phenology

D. paniculatum flowers between July and November, peaking in September.[3][4]Flowering can be delayed and seed production reduced when grown in high densities where competition is prevalent.[5] Seeds weights vary by a factor of about 4 due to difference in several interacting variables including nutrient intake, water availability, photoperiod, temperature, and grazing impact.[6]

Seed bank and germination

Larger seeds of D. paniculatum have a higher rate of germination than smaller seeds.[7]

Use by animals

D. paniculatum produces seeds which attract birds and small rodents, including upland game birds such as bobwhite quail and wild turkey and rodents such as the white-footed mouse and deer mouse. It also serves as a source of food for cottontail rabbits, livestock, and other hoofed mammalian herbivores including white tailed deer.[8]

Conservation and Management

Cultivation and restoration

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 USDA, NRCS. (2016). The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 30 November 2017). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
  2. Plant database: Rubus cunifolius. (12 December 2017).Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. URL: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DEPA6
  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. Nelson G. (11 December 2017) PanFlora. Retrieved from gilnelson.com/PanFlora/
  5. Wulff R. D. (1986). Seed size variation in Desmodium paniculatum: III. Effects on reproductive yield and competitive ability. Journal of Ecology 74(1):115-121.
  6. Wulff R. D. (1986). Seed size variation in Desmodium paniculatum: I. Factors affecting seed size. Journal of Ecology 74(1):87-97.
  7. Wulff R. D. (1986). Seed size variation in Desmodium paniculatum: II. Effects on seedling growth and physiological performance. Journal of Ecology 74(1):99-114.
  8. Leif J. and Belt S. (2013). Plant Guide for Panicledleaf ticktrefoil (Desmodium paniculatum), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rose Lake Plant Materials Center, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823 and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Norman Berg National Plant Materials Center, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705.