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Desmodium cajanifolium

(Kunth) DC. (1825)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Desmodium

tick clover, tick trefoil

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 20–50 dm tall.

Stems: Stems terete (cylindrical), densely pubescent with minute hooked hairs, especially on young parts.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (trifoliolate). Alternate. Leaflets narrowly ovate, terminal one 5–12 cm long, 1–5 cm wide. Apex obtuse or sometimes acute. Upper surfaces pubescent with hooked hairs; lower surfaces densely appressed pubescent. Leaflet margins entire. Petioles 0.5–2 cm long. Stipules present, dry and membranous, distinct. Leaflets stipellate.

Flowers: Flowers numerous in racemose–paniculate, many-branched inflorescences up to 60 cm or more long, borne at base of calyx, rachis rather densely pubescent with hooked hairs. Flowers papilionaceous; pedicels slender, ascending in fruit, 5–7 mm long. Calyx campanulate. Corolla lavender to blue, 8–10 mm long, exceeding the calyx, wings oblong, keel petals. Stamens 10. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Pods stipitate; (3–)5–6–jointed; 2.5–4.5 cm long; pubescent with hooked hairs; articles obtusely triangular; 5–7 mm long; 4–4.5 mm wide. Seeds compressed.

Ploidy: 2n = 22

Habitat: In open forests or along roadsides.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Dylan Charter
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • This species is characteristic in having paniculate, densely flowered inflorescences and 5-6-jointed, stipitate pods with obtusely triangular articles.
  • earliest naturalized collection made on Hawai'i in 1945 (Fagerlund & Mitchell I I19, BISH).

Bibliography

Name Published In: Prodr. 2: 331 (1825)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:666 (H); Frohlich & Lau 2012:38 (K)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Desmodium cajanifolium Koloa, road to Kahili Mt. Park, 0.4 mi from Hwy 50 secondary vegetation; Panicum maximum, Leucaena Preserved_Specimen 8-10' herb; spindly, sparingly branched; leaves matte green olive green above, below paler, dull, raised yellow green veins; standard and keel pale lilac, wings darker pink Flynn, T.W. 7159 Kauai BISH 2004-11-18
2 Desmodium cajanifolium ahupuaa of Halepuaa in the Puna District Growing along the side of the dirt roads and in the fallow fields of the area. The plants are common and form one of the major shrub species in the area. The plants grow in sunny areas with litle or no shade. The ground is rocky. Preserved_Specimen The plant is a tall shrub. Yoshida, L. 79.013 Hawaii BISH 1979-02-12
3 Desmodium cajanifolium Koloa, road to Kahili Mt. Park, 0.4 mi from Hwy 50 secondary vegetation; Panicum maximum, Leucaena Preserved_Specimen 8-10' herb; spindly, sparingly branched; leaves matte green olive green above, below paler, dull, raised yellow green veins; standard and keel pale lilac, wings darker pink Flynn, T.W. 7159 Kauai BISH 2004-11-18
4 Desmodium cajanifolium Kilauea, Ainahou Ranch ohia forest Preserved_Specimen shrubs to 10-12'; fls. light lavender Fagerlund, G.O. 1119 Hawaii BISH 1945-10-28
5 Desmodium cajanifolium South Hilo District, Hilo Bay, north of Suisan fish market Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 10 feet tall, few branches. Flowers purple. Herbst, D.R. 9845 Hawaii BISH 1997-12-03
6 Desmodium cajanifolium ahupuaa of Halepuaa in the Puna District Growing along the side of the dirt roads and in the fallow fields of the area. The plants are common and form one of the major shrub species in the area. The plants grow in sunny areas with litle or no shade. The ground is rocky. Preserved_Specimen The plant is a tall shrub. Yoshida, L. 79.013 Hawaii BISH 1979-02-12
7 Desmodium cajanifolium Honolulu, Judd Street Preserved_Specimen 10 ft. Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1933-11-22
8 Desmodium cajanifolium Honolulu, Judd Street Preserved_Specimen 10 ft. Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1933-11-22
9 Desmodium cajanifolium Hawaii Volcanoes Nat'l Park, Hwy 11, 36-37 mile marker, Kau District, along roadside Preserved_Specimen Bio, K.F. 1004501 Hawaii BISH 2001-12-03
10 Desmodium cajanifolium Honolulu, Judd Street. growing in Judd's yard imported from S. America by Dr. H.L.Lyon Preserved_Specimen Plant 10' high Judd, A.F. Oahu BISH 1933-12-11
11 Desmodium cajanifolium along Hwy. 132, 3 miles E of Pahoa with grasses, Ageratum, Verbena; in abandoned papaya fields Preserved_Specimen Inflorescences large, paniculate. Fruits generally 5-seeded. Flowers small, with blue corolla, small green calyx. Leaves trifoliate, leaflets ovate Ishikawa, S. 221 Hawaii BISH 1973-01-12
12 Desmodium cajanifolium ahupuaa of Halepuaa in the Puna District The plant is common growing on the side of the road. The area is exposed to moderate sunlight. Preserved_Specimen Kubo, R. 4 Hawaii BISH 1979-03-07
13 Desmodium cajanifolium Puna, Green Lake, Kapoho Quarry area Preserved_Specimen to 4 m, but some fruiting at 0,5 m. Flowers pale pink drying to chartreuse. Stemmermann, R.L. 6879 Hawaii BISH 1984-02-04
14 Desmodium cajanifolium ahupuaa of Halepuaa in the Puna District Growing along the side of the dirt roads and in the fallow fields of the area. The plants form one of the major shrub species in the area. The plants grow in sunny areas with little or no shade. THe ground is rocky. Preserved_Specimen The plant is a tall shrub. Yoshida, L. 79.013 Hawaii BISH 1979-02-12
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