. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. LITTLELEAF TICKCLOVER Desmodium ciliare (Muhl.) DC. The tickclovers, also called beggarlice, stiek- tights, or ticktrefoils, are so named because the flat, minutely bristled fruits stick to clothing and animal hair. Several species, all perennials, are common throughout the South. Littleleaf tick- clover is the most important on longleaf pine-blue- stem range. Leaves are pinnately trifoliolate. Leaflets are oval, blunt-tipped, 1/3 to 1 inch long, and uniform in size and shape. Flowers are small, purplish re
. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. LITTLELEAF TICKCLOVER Desmodium ciliare (Muhl.) DC. The tickclovers, also called beggarlice, stiek- tights, or ticktrefoils, are so named because the flat, minutely bristled fruits stick to clothing and animal hair. Several species, all perennials, are common throughout the South. Littleleaf tick- clover is the most important on longleaf pine-blue- stem range. Leaves are pinnately trifoliolate. Leaflets are oval, blunt-tipped, 1/3 to 1 inch long, and uniform in size and shape. Flowers are small, purplish red and pealike. The fruit is a loment that may remain intact at maturity or break apart at its one to three joints to become the familiar "ticks" or "beggar- ; The similar rigid tickclover, Desmodium rigidum (Ell.) DC, also grows on Coastal Plain range. It can be distinguished by its leaflets, which are long- ovate instead of blunt-tipped, and unequal in size, the terminal longer than the laterals. Although tickclovers are readily distinguishable from lespedezas when in flower or fruit, the two genera may be confused in the vegetative state. Stipels are absent in lespedezas, but tickclovers have a pair at the base of the terminal leaflet and a single stipel at the base of each lateral leaflet. Although littleleaf and rigid tickclovers are nu- tritious and palatable, the plants are seldom abun- dant enough to yield much forage. Seeds of both species are valuable quail food. Range: Texas to Florida, north to Nebraska and Michigan. Perennial. Plants erect or ascending, 60-100 cm. tall, branching from a thick root; stems slender, subangulate, usually spreading-pilose with long slender trichomes inter- mixed with short ones in lines alternating with glabrous strips; leaves trifoliolate, stipules linear-subulate, 2-4 mm. long, quickly deciduous; leaflets small, ovate to orbicular, pilose, terminal leaflet 1-3 cm. long; stipels apiculate; flowers papilionaceous
Size: 2298px × 1087px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, booksubjectforageplants, booksubjectgrasses
