Desmodium perplexum | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Desmodium |
Species: | D. perplexum |
Binomial name | |
Desmodium perplexum | |
Synonyms [3] | |
|
Desmodium perplexum is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to eastern North America. The specific name perplexum refers to the confusion surrounding this species since its initial description in 1950.
Desmodium perplexum is similar in appearance to Desmodium glabellum . The two species remained a source of confusion for botanists until a more reliable identification key became available in 2020. Consequently, much of the information published prior to that date tends to be misleading.
Desmodium perplexum is a herbaceous perennial plant. It has trifoliate leaves with petioles at least 10 mm (0.39 in) long. Its fruit is a type of legume called a loment that separates into single-seeded segments with hooked hairs that stick to fur and clothing.
Desmodium perplexum is morphologically similar to Desmodium glabellum . The two species may be distinguished by a combination of fruiting and vegetative characters: [4] [5]
Desmodium glabellum | Desmodium perplexum | |
---|---|---|
Fruit shape | The lower (ventral) margins of most segments are straight to slightly convex (angular segments) | The ventral margins of most segments are concave (rounded segments) |
Leaf arrangement | Going up the stem, the leaves are gradually but noticeably reduced in size and petiole length, often with small leaves extending onto the flowering branches | Going up the stem, the leaves are mostly the same size and do not (or slightly) extend onto the flowering branches (the few leaves that do extend onto the flowering branches are reduced in size but abruptly so) |
Leaf shape | Terminal leaflets are lanceolate to broadly ovate (most specimens, especially of full sun habitats, are on the narrow end of this range), broadest nearer the base than the middle | Terminal leaflets are narrowly ovate to broadly elliptic-ovate (most specimens are on the wider end of this range), broadest nearer the middle than the base |
Desmodium perplexum was first described by the American botanist Bernice Schubert in 1950. [6] The type specimen was collected by Fernald and Long in Sussex County, Virginia in September 1945. [7] The specific name perplexum refers to the "perplexity of botanists" concerned with the taxon known as Desmodium dilleniiDarl. [8] As "the least clearly understood species of the genus", Schubert declared Desmodium dillenii to be a nomen confusum (i.e., a "confusing name") and then attempted to resolve the confusion by splitting the taxon into two distinct taxa, one of which became Desmodium perplexumB.G.Schub. [2] The other taxon was recognized as Desmodium glabellum(Michx.) DC. [9] The name Desmodium dillenii is a synonym for Desmodium glabellum , [10] not Desmodium perplexum.
Desmodium perplexum is a member of the Desmodium paniculatum complex, a group of closely related taxa that also includes Desmodium paniculatum sensu stricto , Desmodium glabellum, Desmodium fernaldii , and the synonym Desmodium dillenii. [11] Alternatively, some botanists lump these taxa into a single polymorphic species, Desmodium paniculatum sensu lato , [12] [13] in which case Desmodium perplexum becomes a synonym of Desmodium paniculatum.
Desmodium perplexum is native to eastern North America. [14] In the United States, its range extends from southern Maine, west to Iowa, south to eastern Texas, and eastward into Georgia. [15] In Canada, members of the Desmodium paniculatum complex are known to occur in Ontario and Quebec, but since Desmodium perplexum is recognized as a synonym of Desmodium paniculatum in Canada, [16] the occurrence of Desmodium perplexum is unknown.
Various sources disagree about the distribution of Desmodium perplexum in North America. [3] [17] [18] This is likely due to the lack of an identification key that can reliably differentiate between Desmodium perplexum and Desmodium glabellum. Using a key published in 2020, [4] almost 60% of the herbarium specimens in Missouri were found to be incorrectly identified. [19] Based on the resulting reclassification, Desmodium glabellum was found to be distributed throughout most of Missouri, while Desmodium perplexum was shown to be confined to the Ozarks in the southeastern half of the state. [20] Using the same key, Desmodium glabellum is thought to be considerably more common than Desmodium perplexum in Pennsylvania, [21] a recent claim that contradicts previous knowledge.
Trillium erectum, the red trillium, also known as wake robin, purple trillium, bethroot, or stinking benjamin, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. The plant takes its common name "wake robin" by analogy with the European robin, which has a red breast heralding spring. Likewise Trillium erectum is a spring ephemeral plant whose life-cycle is synchronized with that of the forests in which it lives. It is native to the eastern United States and eastern Canada from northern Georgia to Quebec and New Brunswick.
Hepatica is a genus of herbaceous perennials in the buttercup family, native to central and northern Europe, Asia and eastern North America. Some botanists include Hepatica within a wider interpretation of Anemone.
Desmodium is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae, sometimes called tick-trefoil, tick clover, hitch hikers or beggar lice. There are dozens of species and the delimitation of the genus has shifted much over time. Species are distributed widely – from Quebec to northern Argentina in the Americas, across northern and southern tropical Africa, in the southern Arabian Peninsula, in Myanmar and Thailand, New Guinea, and northern and eastern Australia.
Tiarella cordifolia, the heart-leaved foamflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Saxifragaceae. The specific name cordifolia means "with heart-shaped leaves", a characteristic shared by all taxa of Tiarella in eastern North America. It is also referred to as Allegheny foamflower, false miterwort, and coolwort.
Tiarella, the foamflowers, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae. The generic name Tiarella means "little turban", which suggests the shape of the seed capsules. Worldwide there are seven species, one each in eastern Asia and western North America, plus five species in eastern North America. As of October 2022, the taxonomy of Tiarella in eastern North America is in flux.
Cardamine concatenata, the cutleaved toothwort, crow's toes, pepper root or purple-flowered toothwort, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a perennial woodland wildflower native to eastern North America.
Cardamine diphylla is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a spring flowering woodland plant that is native to eastern North America.
Ń
Hylodesmum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, sometimes called ticktrefoils or tick-trefoils. It is sometimes treated as part of Desmodium. It includes 16 species native to eastern North America, sub-Saharan Africa, Yemen, south, southeast, and eastern Asia, Malesia, and New Guinea.
Orbexilum, commonly called leather-root, is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family (Fabaceae). They are native to North America, where they are found in the United States and Mexico, south to Chiapas.
Cardamine angustata is a perennial forb native to the eastern United States, that produces white to pink or purple flowers in early spring.
Arisaema quinatum is a species of flowering plant in the arum family Araceae. It is a member of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, a group of closely related taxa in eastern North America. The specific name quinatum means "divided into five lobes", a reference to its characteristic leaves. It is commonly known as the southern Jack-in-the-pulpit but some refer to it as Preacher John.
Arisaema stewardsonii is a species of flowering plant in the arum family Araceae. It is a member of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, a group of closely related taxa in eastern North America. The specific name stewardsonii honors American botanist Stewardson Brown (1867–1921). It is commonly known as the bog Jack-in-the-pulpit. It is sometimes referred to as the swamp Jack-in-the-pulpit, not to be confused with Arisaema pusillum, which is also known by that name.
Desmodium glabellum is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to the eastern and central United States. It is commonly called Dillenius' tick-trefoil in honor of Johann Dillenius, a British botanist of German birth. It is also known as the tall tick-trefoil.
Symphyotrichum shortii, commonly called Short's aster, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is primarily found in interior areas east of the Mississippi River. Its natural habitat is in thin rocky soils of woodlands and thickets often around limestone bluffs. It is common throughout much of its range, although it is generally restricted to intact natural communities.
Hypericum fasciculatum, known as peelbark St. Johnswort or sandweed, is a species of flowering plant in the St. Johnswort family, Hypericaceae, native to the southeastern United States. It is found from eastern North Carolina, south to southern Florida, west to eastern Louisiana. Kew's Plants of the World Online database also notes that it occurs in Cuba, though Cuba is not listed in several other sources. It was first described in 1797 by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.
Cardamine maxima is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae.
Cardamine dissecta is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae.
Desmodium fernaldii is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States.