Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Meibomia uncinata (Jacq.) Kuntze

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Spanish clover, Spanish tick-clover, silverleaf desmodium

Spanish: desmodio plateado, pega pega

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Herbaceous, ascending to erect; stem branched, densely uncinate-pubescent with stout trichomes; petioles 2-5.5 cm long; rachis 0.5-1.2 cm long; petiolules 2-2.5 mm long; leaflets nearly orbicular to rounded-ovate, acute to obtusish at apex, mucronate, rounded to subcordate at base, lateral leaflets only slightly if at all smaller than terminal, upper surface glandular pilose (and also uncinulate-puberulent) with a shining mostly glabrous portion adjoining the midrib, lower surface also glandular-pilose, margins ciliate, 3.5-5.5 cm long, 1.7-2.5 cm broad; stipules 0.8-1 cm long; stipels 2-6 mm long; inflorescence racemose, racemes axillary and terminal; rachis uncinulate-puberulent to -pubescent and sparsely to densely patent-pilose; primary bracts 4.5-8 mm long; secondary bracts up to 4.5 mm long; pedicels glandular-hispid, 0.6-1 cm long; calyx puberulent and hispid, central tooth of lower lobe 5 mm long, lateral teeth 3-4 mm long, bifid lobe ca. 4 mm long; standard 1 cm long, 0.9 cm wide, wings 1 cm long, 0.3 cm wide, keel-petals 1.1 cm long and 0.4 cm wide; loment stipitate, up to 7-articulate, articles semirhomboidal, densely uncinate-pubescent, ca. 5 mm long and 3 mm wide"  (Macbride, 1943; pp. 435-436).

"Erect herb with alternate, trifoliate leaves, white to pink papilionaceous flowers, and jointed pods" (Whistler, 1988; p. 24).

Habitat/ecology:  "Uncommon in pastures and disturbed places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 24). In Niue, used in forage trials; present status unknown (Sykes, 1970; p. 150).  "Probably introduced as a forage plant and not reported to be weedy yet in Samoa" (Whistler, 1988; p. 24).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Northern Argentina and Brazil to the northern boundary of Bahia, west to the east slopes of the Andes, the highlands of Venezuela"  (Macbride, 1943; pp. 435-436).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Cook Islands	Cook Islands		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Chuuk Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 91)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 91)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 150) D. adscendens sensu Sykes non (Sw.) DC. Voucher cited: CHR 150532
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 24)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 24)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 24)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 141) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15609

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Desmodium uncinatum, please let us know.