Desmodium viridiflorum

Herbs or subshrubs, perennial. Stems erect, mostly unbranched, 30–300 cm, densely (sparsely in age) villosulous, also densely uncinate-puberulent and -pubescent. Leaves trifoliolate; stipules caducous, narrowly ovate to ovate, 3–7 mm; petiole 15–40 mm; leaflet blades broadly ovate or broadly rhombic, base acute to cuneate or truncate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces densely velvety or villous, especially on veins abaxially, uncinate-puberulent and obscurely strigose on veins adaxially; terminal blade 50–120(–150) × 35–90 mm, length 1–1.5(–2) times width. Inflorescences branched or unbranched; rachis uncinate-pubescent and sparsely villous; primary bracts narrowly deltate, 3 mm, pilose. Pedicels 3–9 mm. Flowers: calyx 2–3 mm, spreading-pilose, tube 2 mm; abaxial lobes 2.5–4.5 mm, lateral lobes 2–4 mm; corolla purple to pink or pallid lavender, 7–8 mm. Loments: sutures subdentate abaxially, sinuate adaxially; connections adaxial, 1/3–1/2 as broad as segments; segments (3 or)4 or 5, rhombic, 5–8(–9) × 3–3.5 mm, symmetrically angled abaxially, straight or convex adaxially, moderately to densely uncinate-puberulent throughout; stipe 3–6 mm. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Open, often cutover woodlands and borders, old fields, roadsides.
Elevation: 0–900 m.

Ala., Ark., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Md., Miss., Mo., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

In Illinois, Desmodium viridiflorum is known only from Alexander County.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa