Your search found 90 image(s) of Beggar's Lice (Tick-trefoil) species.
Clicking or hovering over any of the pictures below will display a larger image; clicking the plant's name will provide information about the plant pictured.
Naked Tick-trefoil, Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil, Woodland Tick-trefoil
Hylodesmum nudiflorum
Look for it in moist to dry forests
)
)
Leaflets ovate to obovate, to 4" long, crowded at top of the sterile branch, per Wildflowers of Tennessee.
)
Rose-purple, pea-like flowers in a loose raceme on a leafless scape, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians.
)
Stem forked at base: sterile branch to 12" tall and leafless scape to 40", per Wildflowers of Tennessee.
)
Legume (loment) straight across one edge and scalloped along the other, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers.
Heartleaf Tick-trefoil, Clusterleaf Tick-trefoil, Pointedleaf Tick-Trefoil
Hylodesmum glutinosum
Look for it in moist forests, esp nutrient-rich
)
)
Pedicels 3.5-5.5mm. Corolla 5-7mm, per Native and Naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (Isely, 1998).
)
inflorescence 3-8dm long, elongate, conspicuous, much exceeding the leaves, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
Fruits 7.5-9mm, generally concave above, assymmetrically rounded below, per Native and Naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (Isely, 1998).
)
Leaves subverticillate, clustered; leaflets conspicuously & strongly acuminate, per Weakley's Flora.
Fewflower Tick-trefoil
Hylodesmum pauciflorum
Look for it in moist forest
)
)
Calyx densely uncinulate-puberulent; petals white, 5-7mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Look for it in dry forests & woodlands
)
)
A prostrate plant with stems to 5' long, per Wildflowers of Tennessee.
)
Unique in that its leaflets are nearly round, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.
)
Erect, sparsely flowered racemes arise from the trailing stem, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.
)
Leaflets 1-4cm long & wide. Stipules persistent, ovate, & clasping the stem, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses.
)
Loment of (3-)4-6 segments, both margins about equally indented, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Hoary Tick-trefoil
Desmodium canescens
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
)
Stems 6-15dm tall, densely spreading-pilose and uncinulate-puberulent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Stipules ovate to ovate-lanceolate, with a wide partially clasping base, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Petiole much longer than stalk of terminal leaflet, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States.
)
Corolla 9-13 mm long [in other words, relatively large for a Desmodium!], per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
Matted Tick-trefoil, Sand Tick-trefoil
Desmodium lineatum
Look for it in sandhills and other dry forests and woodlands
)
)
Unusual in the genus in that it "crawls" though not technically a vine, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
Stems to 2' long, prostrate/trailing, with leaves quite small for the genus, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
Distinguished by prostrate habit & small lvs w mostly suborbicular leaflets, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
Pedicels 6-16mm long; petals 4-6mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Loment segments convex above, symmetrically rounded below, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
)
Stems trailing vinelike along the ground, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
Florida Tick-trefoil, dixie tick-trefoil
Desmodium tortuosum
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
Loment of 2-7 segments, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. Each 3-3.5mm long, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Loment segments nearly symmetrical (diamond, rounded-diamond, or ~ elliptical), per Weakley's Flora.
)
Stipules and stipels persistent. Leaflets often more than 2x long as wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Slimleaf Tick-trefoil, Savanna Slender Tick-trefoil
Desmodium tenuifolium
Look for it in bogs, pine savannas, wet pine flatwoods
)
Inflorescence usually paniculate, pedicels 4-10mm long, petals 4-5mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Pinebarren Tick-trefoil, Pineland Tick-trefoil, Upland Slender Tick-trefoil
Desmodium strictum
Look for it in sandhills, other dry woodlands
)
)
Inflorescence usually paniculate. Pedicels (4)6-11mm long; petals 3-5mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Terminal leaflets linear to narrowly oblong, often 6-10x long as wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Hairy Small-leaf Tick-trefoil, Littleleaf Tick-trefoil
Desmodium ciliare
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
Petals pink to purplish, 3-5mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Small blunt leaflets with petioles under 3/8", more or less soft-hairy, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.
)
)
Loment of 1-2(-3) subovate segments, each 3.5-6mm long and 2.8-4mm broad, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Smooth Small-leaf Tick-trefoil, Maryland Tick-trefoil
Desmodium marilandicum
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
)
A smooth plant with long petioles, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.
)
Corolla about 5mm long, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
)
Loment - upper slightly convex to almost straight, broadly rounded below, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Stiff Tick-trefoil
Desmodium obtusum
Look for it in dry pine woodlands, fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
)
Loments similar to D. ciliare & D. marilandicum, with 2-3 rounded segments, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
Petioles of median leaves usually shorter than width of lateral leaflets, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
The terminal leaflet is usually elongate, per Native and Naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (Isely, 1998).
)
Inflorescence usually paniculate. Pedicels 4-17mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Stems and petioles densely uncinate-pubescent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Leaflets sparsely to densely short-pubescent and reticulate below, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Panicled Tick-trefoil
Desmodium paniculatum var. paniculatum
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
)
The southern mtns' only Desmodium with narrow leaflets, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.
)
Leaflets usually 3-8x longer than wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Many rose to purple flowers in panicles at the top of 2-4' tall plant, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians.
)
Loment segments angled on lower margin (thus triangular to sub-rhombic), per Weakley's Flora.
)
Leaflets (2.5)3-8(10)x long as wide; leaflet pubescence usually sparse, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
The inflorescence is a large, widely branched panicle, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains.
Smooth Tick-trefoil
Desmodium laevigatum
Look for it in dry oak and pine forests, fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
)
Stems and leaves glabrous, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
Leaflets distinctly pale on the lower surface, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
Petals 8-10mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Loment's upper sutures straight or slightly convex, lower abruptly angled, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Velvety Tick-trefoil, Velvety Tick-clover
Desmodium viridiflorum
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
)
Stems sparsely to densely-puberulent as well as uncinate-pubescent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Leaves densely villous on the lower surface, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
Terminal leaflet rhombic or deltoid, 3.5-11cm long; stipels persistent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Petals 5-9mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Loment straight, with (3)4-5(6) segments, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
Nuttall's Tick-trefoil
Desmodium nuttallii
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
Leaves glabrate to moderately appressed-pilose above, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Loment more or less arching with 2-4 segments, rounded both above and below, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Bracts (subtending clusters of 2-3 flowers) usually villous, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
Leaflets cinereous, or villous, on the lower surface, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
This and D. viridiflorum are the velvety-pubescent eastern species, per Native and Naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (Isely, 1998).
Tall Tick-trefoil, Dillen's Tick-trefoil
Desmodium glabellum
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, disturbed areas
)
Leaves commonly reticulate and vein-uncinulate above, per Native and Naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (Isely, 1998).
)
Leaflets broadly ovate or rhombic to narrowly ovate or ovate-lanceolate, per Native and Naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (Isely, 1998).
)
Inflorescence usually paniculate; pedicels (2)4-8(12)mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Upper suture usually slightly outwardly bowed... lower strongly angled..., per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Petals 6-9mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
Perplexing Tick-trefoil, Dillen's Tick-trefoil
Desmodium perplexum
Look for it in fields, woodland borders, hammocks, disturbed areas
)
)
This & D. glabellum are most typical yet most difficult to separate in NC, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
Leaflets broadly to narrowly ovate, 3-9cm, 1.5-3(3.5) as long as wide, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
Leaf surfaces usually moderately short-pubescent to pilose or upper glabrate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Stems usually pilose (vs D. glabellum's stem pubescence typically uncinate), per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
Corolla 6-8(9)mm long, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
Loment densely uncinulate-puberulent, stipe 3-5mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
Loment of usually 2-4 broadly rhombic to triangular segments, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.