Fabaceae
Western trailing ticktrefoil
Desmodium procumbens
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Desmodium
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Common names
By language (1)
- English
- Western trailing ticktrefoil
Synonyms
- Desmodium procumbens var. typicum B.G.Schub.
- Desmodium spirale DC.
- Hedysarum procumbens Mill.
- Hedysarum spirale Sw.
- Hedysarum tenellum DC.
- Meibomia procumbens (Mill.) Britton
- Meibomia procumbens (Mill.) Schindl.
- Meibomia spiralis Kuntze
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native
Photos

Photo: Daniel, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daniel, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daniel, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Jim Riley, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Sula Vanderplank, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Augusto Olmos Mercado, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Sue Carnahan, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daniel, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Sula Vanderplank, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Andrew Tree, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Augusto Olmos Mercado, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Lucas Carbone, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
More in Desmodium
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- Panicledleaf ticktrefoilDesmodium paniculatumFabaceae
- Showy tick-trefoilDesmodium canadenseFabaceae
- Greenleaf ticktrefoilDesmodium intortumFabaceae
- Hawai'i ticktrefoilDesmodium uncinatumFabaceae
- Scorpion ticktrefoilDesmodium scorpiurusFabaceae
- Desmodium cuneatumFabaceae
- Largebract ticktrefoilDesmodium cuspidatumFabaceae
- Dillenius' ticktrefoilDesmodium glabellumFabaceae
- Illinois ticktrefoilDesmodium illinoenseFabaceae
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.