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Desmodium varians

Scientific Name: Desmodium varians

Family: Fabaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Desmodium varians (Slender Tick-trefoil)

Desmodium varians, commonly known as Slender Tick-trefoil, is a perennial leguminous herb belonging to the family Fabaceae.

Considerations for Pets

  • This plant is a prostrate or climbing herb.
  • It produces seed pods that could potentially become attached to animal fur due to their "tick" like nature.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Desmodium varians (Labill.) G.Don
  • Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae or LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE)
  • Genus: Desmodium
  • Synonym: Meibomia varians (Labill.) Kuntze
  • Varieties:
    • D. v. var. gunnii
    • D. v. var. varians

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to Australia.
  • Observed locations include Mount Ainslie and Tuggeranong Hill.
  • Extant in Tasmania at only a few sites, all on unreserved private land.
  • Found in native grassland areas, such as the northern shore of Lake Illawarra, New South Wales.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Prostrate or climbing herb with stems 15-50 cm long.
  • Stems can be glabrous (smooth) to sparsely hairy.
  • Leaves are typically 3-foliolate.
  • Leaflets are usually orbicular to obovate.
  • Terminal leaflet has a petiolule (stalk) longer than the lateral ones (2-4.5 mm long).
  • Leaf petiole is 5-10 mm long.
  • Twining prostrate or scrambling perennial.

Growth Habits

  • Perennial.
  • Yearlong-green.
  • Scrambling or climbing.
  • Has a thick rootstock and slender stems.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Its leaves can be difficult to distinguish from another twining woodland pea.

Resources and Further Information

  • PlantNET: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Desmodium~varians
  • Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K) Herbarium
  • Australian Plant Census