Fabaceae
Zarzabacoa comun
Desmodium incanum
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Desmodium
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Common names
By language (6)
- English
- Zarzabacoa comun
- Hausa
- Waken zomo
- Japanese
- タチシバハギ
- Portuguese
- Pega-pega
- Spanish
- Trebol espanol de Kaimi, Trebol español de Kaimi
- Tongan
- Kihikihi
Synonyms
- Aeschynomene incana (Sw.) G.Mey.
- Aeschynomene spicata Poir.
- Desmodium ancistrocarpum (Ledeb.) DC.
- Desmodium canum (J.F.Gmel.) Schinz & Thell.
- Desmodium diversifolium (Poir.) DC.
- Desmodium diversifolium Schltdl.
- Desmodium frutescens Schindl.
- Desmodium incanum f. minor Chodat & Hassl.
- Desmodium incanum f. obovatifolium Wawra
- Desmodium incanum var. incanum
- Desmodium incanum var. supinum (DC.) Hook. & Arn.
- Desmodium lindleyi Mart.
- Desmodium mauritianum (Willd.) DC.
- Desmodium portoricense (Spreng.) G.Don
- Desmodium sparsiflorum G.Don
- Desmodium supinum DC.
- Desmodium tenue G.Don
- Desmodium variifolium Steud.
- Hedysarum ancistrocarpum Ledeb.
- Hedysarum canescens Mill.
- Hedysarum canum J.F.Gmel.
- Hedysarum canum Lunan
- Hedysarum conjunctum Weinm.
- Hedysarum diversifolium Poir.
- Hedysarum incanum Sw.
- Hedysarum madagascariense Desv.
- Hedysarum madagascariensis Desv.
- Hedysarum mauritianum Willd.
- Hedysarum portoricense Spreng.
- Hedysarum racemosum Aubl.
- Hedysarum racemosum Murray
- Hedysarum supinum Sw.
- Heteroloma supinum Desv. ex Kunth
- Meibomia adscendens var. incana (Sw.) Kuntze
- Meibomia cana (J.F.Gmel.) S.F.Blake
- Meibomia diversifolia (Poir.) Kuntze
- Meibomia incana (Sw.) Vail
- Meibomia incana (Sw.) Hoehne
- Meibomia incana (Sw.) O.F.Cook & G.N.Collins
- Meibomia incana Lindm.
and 5 more.
Flowers
- Flower colour
- purple (USDA PLANTS Database)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb, Subshrub
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Navassa Island: native, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native
Toxicity: Slight, as listed by the USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29). USDA rates how toxic a plant is to people or livestock; it is not a pet-safety rating, so ask a vet or poison line if a pet or child ate it.
Photos
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Tauʻolunga, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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- Greenleaf ticktrefoilDesmodium intortumFabaceae
- Hawai'i ticktrefoilDesmodium uncinatumFabaceae
- Scorpion ticktrefoilDesmodium scorpiurusFabaceae
- Desmodium cuneatumFabaceae
- Largebract ticktrefoilDesmodium cuspidatumFabaceae
- Dillenius' ticktrefoilDesmodium glabellumFabaceae
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- Smooth ticktrefoilDesmodium laevigatumFabaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.