- Family:
- Fabaceae Lindl.
Desmodium Desv.

[LOWO]
Legumes of the World. Edited by G. Lewis, B. Schrire, B. MacKinder & M. Lock. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (2005)
- Note
-
The tribe Desmodieae as treated by Ohashi et al. (1981) comprised 27 genera and c. 540 species in three subtribes, the Bryinae, Desmodiinae and Lespedezinae. Molecular analyses by Bailey et al. (1997) and Doyle et al. (2000) show that Bryinae has affinities elsewhere; Lavin et al. (2001a) place it within the Pterocarpus clade of the Dalbergieae sens. lat. (see page 309). The Bryinae are therefore removed from the Desmodieae here, as are two genera formerly placed in subtribe Lespedezinae; Phylacium Benn. and Neocollettia Hemsl., which are moved to tribe Phaseoleae (see page 393) on morphological, palynological and molecular evidence (Doyle et al., 2000; Kajita et al., 2001). The two remaining subtribes of Desmodieae are recognised in this treatment as three groups, the Lespedeza, Phyllodium and Desmodium groups, based on results of an analysis of the chloroplast gene rbcL (Kajita et al., 2001). The Phyllodium and Desmodium groups correspond to subtribe Desmodiinae, and the Lespedeza group to subtribe Lespedezinae (with Campylotropis now comprising 37 instead of 65 species as in Ohashi et al., 1981).
Desmodieae as circumscribed here comprises 30 genera and (524)–527–(530) species (Fig. 48). The tribe occurs in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world, but extends into the cool temperate and sub-boreal regions of E Asia and N America (except W of the Rocky Mountains). At generic level subtribe Desmodiinae is most diverse in tropical S and SE Asia (Dy Phon et al., 1994), while temperate E Asia (Yang & Huang, 1995) and N America (Isely, 1998) are the centres of diversity of subtribe Lespedezinae. The tribe occurs widely from coastal to montane areas, but not at high altitudes. Species are most commonly shrubs or subshrubs, sometimes herbs, rarely trees and are usually erect and 3-foliolate.
The Desmodieae have been considered similar to tribe Phaseoleae (Polhill, 1981a) and were recently shown to be a monophyletic lineage included within Phaseoleae sens. lat. (Fig. 47, page 394), closely related to subtribe Kennediinae (Doyle & Doyle, 1993, Bruneau et al., 1995; Doyle et al., 1997) and possibly sister to Mucuna (Bailey et al., 1997; Doyle et al., 2000; Kajita et al., 2001).
- Habit
- Shrubs or herbs, rarely small trees
- Ecology
- Seasonally dry to wet tropical, warm temperate and temperate forest, woodland, thicket, wooded grassland, bushland and grassland, usually common in open or seasonally wet and riverine areas, also in disturbed and ruderal vegetation
- Distribution
- most diverse in SE Asia (at infrageneric level) and Mexico to S America (at specific level). Occurring from Africa-Madagascar (c. 40 spp., c. 15 endemic), tropical SE Asia (c. 70 spp.), China to temperate E Asia (c. 35 spp., c. 10 endemic), warm temperate N America (c. 35 spp.), Mexico (c. 80 spp., c. 50 endemic), C America, Caribbean and tropical to subtropical S America (c. 80 spp., 21 spp. found in Argentina) and Australia (c. 14 spp.). A number of species are widespread in the Old and New Worlds and are often cultivated
[FZ]
Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000
- Morphology General Habit
- Shrubs or erect or prostrate subshrubs or herbs.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaves 1-foliolate or pinnately 3–5-foliolate; leaflets often large; stipules free, somewhat joined, or joined and leaf-opposed, striate; stipels present.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescences axillary or terminal, falsely racemose or paniculate rarely subumbellate, the flowers solitary or fasciculate on the rhachis; primary bracts striate, persistent or sometimes membranous and early deciduous; secondary bracts often present but bracteoles usually absent.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Calyx 5-lobed, the lobes mostly ± 2-lipped or subequal; the upper lip entire or bidentate composed of 2 lobes joined together, the lower of 3 larger lobes, the central one the longest.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Corolla mostly small, yellow or red; standard oblong to round or transverse, narrowed into a short claw, sometimes with small callous appendages; wings ± attached to the keel; keel petals clawed, partly joined.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
- Stamens mostly diadelphous, the vexillary filament free or partly joined; anthers uniform.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
- Ovary sessile, (1)2–many-ovuled; style inflexed or incurved, glabrous; stigma terminal, capitate or minute.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruits usually stipitate or sometimes sessile, well-exserted from the calyx, compressed, (1)2–many-jointed into articles (loments), indehiscent or at length splitting up, the articles 1-seeded, membranous or leathery, almost flat or more rarely inflated; or in a few cases fruits dehiscing and not or scarcely breaking into articles.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds oblong, reniform or subquadrangular, compressed; aril not developed.
[FTEA]
Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971
- Morphology General Habit
- Herbs, subshrubs or shrubs, prostrate or scrambling to erect
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaves 1–3(–5)-foliolate; stipules various, free, or fused at least when young, somewhat oblique, striate and ciliate; petiole sulcate, usually exceeding leaf-rhachis; leaflets petiolulate, the lateral ones each subtended by 1 stipel, the terminal subtended by 2
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescences axillary or terminal, racemose or racemose-paniculate or, rarely, subumbellate; primary bracts striate and ciliate, each subtending 1 (pedicellate) flower or a fascicle of 2–several flowers; secondary bracts often present, similar or depauperate, each subtending a single pedicellate flower; bracteoles (present in only 1 species in Flora area) paired at the base of the calyx
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lobe (entire to) bifid, the lower 3-toothed with the central tooth longer than the laterals, or the calyx almost equally 5-lobed
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Corolla exceeding calyx; standard slightly and wings somewhat clawed, the wings, at least in young flowers, attached to keel-petals by a small appendage; keel-petals long-clawed, partially fused above
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
- Vexillary stamen free or partially fused, or less often stamens all joined; anthers uniform
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
- Ovary sessile or stipitate; ovules 2–many; style slender; stigma terminal
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit transversely jointed, (1–)2-many-articled, usually stipitate, indehiscent, or tardily dehiscent, or rarely (but not in Flora species) the walls between the sutures falling away and leaving the sutures as a frame; articles variously shaped from almost circular in outline to essentially linear, sometimes folded on each other in accordion fashion, the surfaces glabrous to densely pubescent with straight or hooked hairs or these only on the sutures, 1-seeded
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds oblong or subquadrate.
[LOWO]
- Use
- Important livestock forage and cover crops (e.g., the tick clovers D. intortum (Mill.) Urb. and D. uncinatum (Jacq.) DC. ), also grown as intercropping insect repellents; widely used for medicine; cultivated as ornamentals (e.g., D. elegans DC.), and used for fibre
Native to:
Alabama, Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Arkansas, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Is., Central American Pac, Chad, Chile North, Colombia, Connecticut, Costa Rica, Cuba, Delaware, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Florida, French Guiana, Galápagos, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Jamaica, Kansas, Kentucky, Labrador, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Maine, Malawi, Mali, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nebraska, Netherlands Antilles, New Brunswick, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, Newfoundland, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Territory, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oman, Ontario, Panamá, Paraguay, Pennsylvania, Peru, Prince Edward I., Puerto Rico, Queensland, Québec, Rhode I., Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Carolina, South Dakota, Southwest Caribbean, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., Uruguay, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Windward Is., Wisconsin, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Introduced into:
Ascension, Bismarck Archipelago, Burundi, Cape Provinces, Caroline Is., Central African Repu, China South-Central, China Southeast, Comoros, Congo, Cook Is., Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Gilbert Is., Guinea, Hawaii, India, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexican Pacific Is., Nauru, Niue, Norfolk Is., Northern Provinces, Philippines, Pitcairn Is., Rodrigues, Rwanda, Réunion, Seychelles, Society Is., South China Sea, Sri Lanka, St.Helena, Taiwan, Tonga, Tubuai Is., Uganda, Wallis-Futuna Is., West Himalaya, Western Australia, Zaïre
- Desmodium affine Schltdl.
- Desmodium alamanii DC.
- Desmodium album (Schindl.) J.F.Macbr.
- Desmodium ambiguum Hemsl.
- Desmodium amplifolium Hemsl.
- Desmodium amplistipulaceum L.Torres-Colín & L.O.Alvarado
- Desmodium angustatum (Rose & Standl.) Standl.
- Desmodium angustifolium (Kunth) DC.
- Desmodium arechavaletae Burkart
- Desmodium arizonicum S.Watson
- Desmodium axillare (Sw.) DC.
- Desmodium batocaulon A.Gray
- Desmodium bellum (S.F.Blake) B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium bioculatum S.Watson
- Desmodium bridgesii (Schindl.) Burkart
- Desmodium burkartii L.C.P.Lima & Vanni
- Desmodium cajanifolium (Kunth) DC.
- Desmodium callilepis Hemsl.
- Desmodium campyloclados Hemsl.
- Desmodium canadense (L.) DC.
- Desmodium canaliculatum B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium canescens (L.) DC.
- Desmodium caripense (Kunth) G.Don
- Desmodium chartaceum Brandegee
- Desmodium chiapense Brandegee
- Desmodium ciliare (Muhl. ex Willd.) DC.
- Desmodium cinerascens A.Gray
- Desmodium cinereum (Kunth) DC.
- Desmodium coloniense M.E.Jones
- Desmodium conzattii Greenm.
- Desmodium cordistipulum Hemsl.
- Desmodium craspediferum A.M.G.Azevedo & F.Oliveira
- Desmodium crassum M.E.Jones
- Desmodium cubense Griseb.
- Desmodium cuneatum Hook. & Arn.
- Desmodium cuspidatum (Muhl. ex Willd.) DC. ex G.Don
- Desmodium delotum J.F.Macbr.
- Desmodium densiflorum Hemsl.
- Desmodium denudatum DC.
- Desmodium distortum (Aubl.) J.F.Macbr.
- Desmodium fernaldii B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium floridanum Chapm.
- Desmodium foliosum Hemsl.
- Desmodium ghiesbreghtii Hemsl.
- Desmodium glabellum (Michx.) DC.
- Desmodium glabrescens Malme
- Desmodium glabrum (Mill.) DC.
- Desmodium gracile M.Martens & Galeotti
- Desmodium grahamii A.Gray
- Desmodium guadalajaranum S.Watson
- Desmodium guaraniticum (Chodat & Hassl.) Malme
- Desmodium guianense DC.
- Desmodium hartwegianum Hemsl.
- Desmodium hassleri (Schindl.) Burkart
- Desmodium helleri Peyr.
- Desmodium hirsutum M.Martens & Galeotti
- Desmodium hookerianum D.Dietr.
- Desmodium × humifusum (Muhl. ex Bigelow) L.C.Beck
- Desmodium illinoense A.Gray
- Desmodium incanum (Sw.) DC.
- Desmodium infractum DC.
- Desmodium intermedium Burkart
- Desmodium intortum (Mill.) Urb.
- Desmodium jaliscanum S.Watson
- Desmodium johnstonii Standl. ex B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium karwinskii (Schindl.) L.Torres-Colín & A.Delgado
- Desmodium laevigatum (Nutt.) DC.
- Desmodium lagopodioides Endl.
- Desmodium lamprocarpum Hemsl.
- Desmodium lavanduliflorum Standl.
- Desmodium leiocarpum (Spreng.) G.Don
- Desmodium lempirae C.Nelson
- Desmodium leptoclados Hemsl.
- Desmodium leptomeres (S.F.Blake) B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium limense Hook.
- Desmodium lindheimeri Vail
- Desmodium lineatum DC.
- Desmodium longiarticulatum (Rusby) Burkart
- Desmodium lupulinum Schltdl.
- Desmodium luteolum Standl.
- Desmodium macrodesmum (S.F.Blake) Standl. & Steyerm.
- Desmodium macropodium Hemsl.
- Desmodium macrostachyum Hemsl.
- Desmodium madrense Hemsl.
- Desmodium marilandicum (L.) DC.
- Desmodium maxonii (Standl.) Standl.
- Desmodium membranifolium L.C.P.Lima, A.M.G.Azevedo & L.P.Queiroz
- Desmodium metallicum (Rose & Standl.) Standl.
- Desmodium metcalfei (Rose & J.H.Painter) Kearney & Peebles
- Desmodium mexiae B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium michelianum (Schindl.) B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium michoacanum B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium micranthum (Schindl.) J.F.Macbr.
- Desmodium microcarpum (Rusby) L.C.P.Lima, A.M.G.Azevedo & L.P.Queiroz
- Desmodium miniatura Standl. & L.O.Williams
- Desmodium molliculum (Kunth) DC.
- Desmodium monticola Brandegee
- Desmodium nicaraguense Oerst.
- Desmodium nitidum M.Martens & Galeotti
- Desmodium novogalicianum B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium nuttallii (Schindl.) B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium obtusum (Muhl. ex Willd.) DC.
- Desmodium occidentale (C.V.Morton) Standl.
- Desmodium ochroleucum M.A.Curtis ex Canby
- Desmodium orbiculare Schltdl.
- Desmodium orizabanum Hemsl.
- Desmodium ospriostreblum Chiov.
- Desmodium pachyrhizum Vogel
- Desmodium painteri (Rose & Standl.) Standl.
- Desmodium pallidum (Rose & J.H.Painter) Standl.
- Desmodium palmeri Hemsl.
- Desmodium paniculatum (L.) DC.
- Desmodium paraguanae Pittier
- Desmodium parkinsonii Hemsl.
- Desmodium perplexum B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium platycarpum Benth.
- Desmodium plectocarpum Hemsl.
- Desmodium plicatum Schltdl. & Cham.
- Desmodium polygaloides Chodat & Hassl.
- Desmodium polystachyum Schltdl.
- Desmodium prehensile Schltdl.
- Desmodium pringlei S.Watson
- Desmodium procumbens (Mill.) C.L.Hitchc.
- Desmodium prodigum (Schindl.) Standl.
- Desmodium prostratum Brandegee
- Desmodium pseudoamplifolium Micheli
- Desmodium psilocarpum A.Gray
- Desmodium psilophyllum Schltdl.
- Desmodium purpusianum (Schindl.) B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium purpusii Brandegee
- Desmodium raymundoramirezii L.Torres & A.Delgado
- Desmodium retinens Schltdl.
- Desmodium rhynchodesmum (S.F.Blake) Standl.
- Desmodium riedelii (Schindl.) Burkart
- Desmodium rosei B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium rotundifolium DC.
- Desmodium saccatum B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium saxatile (C.V.Morton) B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium scalare B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium schindleri B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium schubertianum Standl. & L.O.Williams
- Desmodium schusteri (Schindl.) Standl.
- Desmodium sclerophyllum Benth.
- Desmodium scopulorum S.Watson
- Desmodium scorpiurus (Sw.) Desv. ex DC.
- Desmodium scutatum Hemsl.
- Desmodium seatonii Greenm.
- Desmodium seleri (Schindl.) Standl. & Steyerm.
- Desmodium sericeum (Schindl.) Standl.
- Desmodium sericocarpum Hemsl.
- Desmodium sericophyllum Schltdl.
- Desmodium serotinum (Willd.) DC.
- Desmodium sessilifolium (Torr. ex M.A.Curtis) Torr. & A.Gray
- Desmodium skinneri Benth.
- Desmodium strictum (Pursh) DC.
- Desmodium subrosum G.L.Nesom
- Desmodium subsecundum Vogel
- Desmodium subsericeum Malme
- Desmodium subsessile Schltdl.
- Desmodium substipulaceum Blume ex Kurz
- Desmodium subtile Hemsl.
- Desmodium sumichrastii (Schindl.) Standl.
- Desmodium sylvicola Brandegee
- Desmodium tastense Brandegee
- Desmodium tenuifolium Torr. & A.Gray
- Desmodium tenuipes (S.F.Blake) B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium tortuosum (Sw.) DC.
- Desmodium triarticulatum Malme
- Desmodium tweedyi Britton
- Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC.
- Desmodium urarioides (S.F.Blake) B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium vargasianum B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium venosum Vogel
- Desmodium venustum Steud.
- Desmodium viridiflorum (L.) DC.
- Desmodium volubile (Schindl.) B.G.Schub. & McVaugh
- Desmodium weberbaueri (Schindl.) J.F.Macbr.
- Desmodium wydlerianum Urb.
- Desmodium xylopodium Greenm.
- Desmodium yungasense Britton
Desmodium Desv. appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 1, 1986 | Thomas, D.W. [2133], Cameroon | K000087027 | No | ||
Nov 21, 1925 | Armstrong [s.n.], Australia | K000279025 | Yes | ||
Rico, L. [1600], Bolivia | K000295213 | No | |||
Cunningham, A. [35], Australia | K000279027 | Yes | |||
Rico, L. [1354b], Bolivia | K000295496 | Yes | |||
Bauer [s.n.], Australia | K000279030 | Yes | |||
Lindley [s.n.], Australia | K000279029 | Yes | |||
s.coll. [Cat. no. s.n.], India | K001132335 | Yes | |||
Bauer [s.n.], Australia | K000279088 | Yes | |||
Brooks, R.R. [TMEX436], Brazil | K000931721 | Yes | |||
Moore, C. [s.n.], Australia | K000279024 | Yes | |||
Heringer, E.P. [4670], Brazil | K000931722 | Yes | |||
Buchanan-Hamilton, F. [Cat. no. s.n.] | K001132336 | Yes | |||
Cunningham, A. [41], Australia | K000279023 | Yes | |||
Berçot, A.C.S. [19], Brazil | K000931720 | Yes | |||
Rico, L. [1387], Bolivia | K000295397 | Yes | |||
Silva, J.M. [5640], Brazil | K000931723 | Yes |
First published in J. Bot. Agric. 1: 122 (1813)
Accepted by
- Govaerts, R. (2000). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS D: 1-30141.
- Pires Lima, L.C., de Queiroz, L.P., de Azevedo Tozzi, A.M.G & Lewis, G.P. (2014). A taxonomic revision of Desmodium (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) in Brazil Phytotaxa 169: 1-119.
Literature
Flora of West Tropical Africa
- —F.T.A. 2: 159.
Flora Zambesiaca
- Verdcourt in Kirkia 9: 506 (1974).
- in J. Bot. Agric. 1: 122, t. 5, fig. 15 (1813) nom. conserv.
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Journ. de Bot., sér. 2, 1: 122, t. 5/15 (1813)
- Schubert in F.C.B. 5: 180 (1954), nom. conserv.
-
Art and Illustrations in Digifolia
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