Trailing tick-trefoil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trailing tick-trefoil |
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D. humifusum
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| Desmodium humifusum (Muhl. ex Bigelow) Beck
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Desmodium humifusum is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the legume family, just like peas and beans! People often call it the trailing tick-trefoil, eastern trailing tick-trefoil, or spreading tick-trefoil.
This plant is originally from the eastern United States. Sadly, it's now only found in a few places. You might spot it in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Indiana. It used to grow in many more states. But now, it's likely gone from places like Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, and Missouri.
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About the Trailing Tick-Trefoil
What Does It Look Like?
This plant grows low to the ground. Its stems are hairy and can spread out up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) long. One plant can have many of these long stems.
The leaves grow in an alternating pattern along the stem. Each leaf is divided into three smaller parts called leaflets. These leaflets can be up to 7 centimeters (about 2.7 inches) long and 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) wide. The leaves also have small, leaf-like parts called stipules at their base. These stipules can help you identify the plant.
Its Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of the trailing tick-trefoil are purple. They grow in a cluster called a raceme. Each flower is almost one centimeter long. These pretty flowers usually bloom in July and August.
After the flowers, the plant grows a fruit. This fruit is a legume pod, similar to a pea pod. It's divided into three or four small sections. Each section can be up to 8 millimeters (about 0.3 inches) long.
How It Spreads
The small sections of the fruit are designed to stick to animal fur. This helps the plant spread its seeds to new places. This way, animals help the plant move around!
Scientists think this plant might be a hybrid. This means it could be a mix of two other Desmodium plants: Desmodium paniculatum and D. rotundifolium.
Where Does It Grow?
The trailing tick-trefoil likes to grow in sandy soils. These soils often come from sandstone and chert rocks. You'll often find this plant in dry forests. These forests are usually full of oak trees.
