Fabaceae
Dixie ticktrefoil
Desmodium tortuosum
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Desmodium
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Common names
By language (3)
- Chinese
- 南美山蚂蝗, 南美山蚂蟥, 南美山螞蝗, 扭荚山绿豆, 紫花山螞蝗
- English
- Dixie ticktrefoil
- French
- Sainfoin tortueux
Synonyms
- Desmodium physocarpos Vogel
- Desmodium pulcherrimum Shuttlew. ex Griseb.
- Desmodium purpureum (Mill.) Fawc. & Rendle
- Desmodium stipulaceum DC.
- Desmodium tortuosum var. hirtellum DC.
- Hedysarum purpureum Mill.
- Hedysarum stipulaceum Sessé ex DC.
- Hedysarum tortuosum Sw.
- Meibomia physocarpa (Vogel) Kuntze
- Meibomia purpurea (Mill.) Vail
- Meibomia stipulacea (DC.) Kuntze
- Meibomia tortuosa (Sw.) Kuntze
Flowers
- Flower colour
- blue (USDA PLANTS Database)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb, Subshrub
- Lifespan
- Annual, Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native
Photos
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Harizoly Razafimandimby, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF Photo: Edivanice Alves, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Bezerra Joandson, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Arthur Couto, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: antoine merlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: antoine merlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Desmodium
- Zarzabacoa comunDesmodium incanumFabaceae
- Desmodium molliculumFabaceae
- 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
- 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.