Herbs, perennial. Stems pros­trate or climbing, branched, angular (3-sided), 40–200 cm, uncinate-pubescent and villous. Leaves trifoliolate; stip­ules usually persistent, sometimes caducous, ovate-deltate, 5.5–12 mm; petiole 4–8 cm; leaflet blades ovate, elliptic to broadly ovate, or rhombic, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces more densely sericeous abaxi­ally, sparsely to densely sericeous adaxially; terminal blade 35–100 × 24–60 mm, length 2.5–3 times width. Inflorescences branched or unbranched; rachis patent-villous and uncinate-pubescent to puberulent; primary bracts densely imbricate before anthesis, caducous, narrowly ovate, 7–10 mm. Pedicels 4–8 mm. Flowers: calyx 3–5 mm, sparsely puberulent throughout, lobes often villous, tube 1 mm; abaxial lobes 4–5.5 mm, lateral lobes 2.5–4 mm; corolla purple, fading blue-green, 7–9 mm. Loments: sutures crenate or somewhat angled abaxially, sinuate adaxially; connections adaxial, 1/2 as broad as segments; segments 5–9, semiorbiculate, 3–4 × 2–2.5 mm, obliquely rounded abaxially, slightly angled adaxially, uncinate-pubescent; stipe 1–2 mm. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat: Open, grassy areas, roadsides.
Elevation: 1000–1700 m.

Distribution

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Ariz., Mexico (Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sonora, Veracruz), Central America, introduced in Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Australia.

Discussion

In the flora area, Desmodium intortum is known only from Cochise County.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.