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tick trefoil
Scientific Name: Codariocalyx
Family: Fabaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense)
Showy Tick Trefoil, scientifically known as Desmodium canadense, is a captivating wildflower belonging to the Fabaceae family (bean family). This plant, also referred to as Canada tick trefoil, beggar's lice, or stick tights, is known for its beautiful pink flowers and its seedpods that readily attach to clothing and fur.
Considerations for Pets
- The plant produces seedpods with hooked hairs that can cling to animal fur.
Considerations for Children
- The plant produces seedpods with hooked hairs that can cling to clothing.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Desmodium canadense (L.) DC.
- Family: Fabaceae (Legume family)
- Common Names: Showy Tick Trefoil, Canada tick trefoil, beggars lice, stick tights.
- Plant Symbol: DEGL4 (for Desmodium glabellum)
- Synonyms: The text mentions that pointed-leaved tick-trefoil was only recently separated from the genus Desmodium.
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to North America.
- Desmodium illinoense is native to the central part of the United States, including much of the Great Plains.
- Common in upland prairies, roadsides, and old fields (specifically mentioned in Mississippi).
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Herbaceous perennial forb.
- Typically grows to about 3 feet tall, but can reach heights of 6 feet.
- Slender-stemmed and often bushy.
- Stout central stem covered with fine hooked hairs.
- Leaves are trifoliate (three-parted).
- Produces numerous rose-colored, pea-like flowers in dense, nodding clusters.
- Blooms in July and August.
Ecological Role
- Considered a valuable wildlife plant.
- A legume that helps to put nitrogen into the soil.
- Supports a wide range of wildlife.
- The foliage serves as a food source for the caterpillars of the "dusky wings" butterfly.
- Can be considered a weed of pastures, roadsides, and noncroplands.
Quirky Facts
- The common names "tick trefoil" and "beggar's lice" refer to the plant's seedpods' tendency to cling to clothing.
- Goats can consume up to 50% of their diet in tick trefoil leaves.
Related Species
- Desmodium illinoense (Illinois Tick-trefoil): A tall, erect perennial herb growing to about 2 meters with three-parted, lance-shaped leaves.
- Desmodium cuspidatum (Large-bracted Tick-trefoil): An erect perennial herb growing up to 2 meters.
- Desmodium ochroleucum (Cream-flowered Tick-trefoil)
- Desmodium glutinosum (Pointed-leaf Tick Trefoil)