Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd.

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily. Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (1): 1-152.

  • Family

    Mimosaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbaceous perennials from a woody, often fusiform taproot, locally suffrutescent; stems numerous, glabrate, prostrate or low spreading, 1-6 dm, or erect and 1 m. Leaves subsessile to shortly petioled; gland continguous to lowest pinnae, circular to elliptic, .5-1.5(-2.5) mm diam, or (w Texas) glands between several pinnae-pairs; pinnae 2-4(-6) pairs; leaflets 6-10(-15) pairs, shortly oblong, slightly asymmetric, 2.5-5 mm, without evident nervation. Stipules acicular, membranous-broadened at base or not, 3-6(-8) mm. Heads ca 5 mm diam, greenish-white, 4-7(-10) flowered; peduncles 1-3(4) cm. Corolla ca 3 mm; stamens 10, ca 5 mm. Legume oblong to linear, straight to moderately curved, 4-6(-8) cm long, 3-4(-5) mm wide; margins not constricted. Seeds oblique, 2.5-3 mm. (Description applies to U.S. forms.)

  • Discussion

    CN 2n = 28 (Turner & Beaman, 1953). I have previously presented a functional interpretation of U.S. D. virgatus that included study of some tropical South American material (Isely, 1970a). Desmanthus virgatus may usually be recognized by the tiny, few-flowered heads, leaves with relatively few pinnae, short petioles and well developed stipules, and relatively short peduncles. The legume is proportionately broader than that of sympatric species (except the otherwise very different D. illinoensis), and the seeds are evidently oblique.

  • Distribution

    Texas Florida, Arizona. Tropical America, South America.

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