Desmodium scorpiurus (Sw.) Desv., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  More information needed, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: scorpion ticktrefoil

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Subshrubby, prostrate or scandent to ascending; stem terete to angled, uncinulate-pilosulous; petioles 0.8-1.2 cm long, rachis up to 0.3 cm long; petiolules ca 1 mm long; leaflets mostly narrowly to broadly elliptic, obtuse, appressed-pilose above and below with midrib and chief lateral veins prominent on lower surface, terminal leaflet 1.1-2 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, lateral leaflets 1-1.5 cm long, 0.4-0.7 cm wide; stipules 3-4.5 mm long; stipels 1-2 mm long; inflorescence racemose, rachis very finely striate, puberulent; primary bracts up to ca 4 mm long, secondary bracts ca 2 mm long; pedicels puberulent, up to ca 7 mm long; calyx spreading-pilose with central tooth of lower lobe 2 mm long, lateral teeth 1.75 mm long, upper lobe bifid, 2 mm long; standard 3.5 mm long, 1.25 mm wide, wings equaling standard, keel-petals 4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; loment short-stipitate, usually5-articulate, articles mostly oblong, scarcely if at all narrowed at isthmus, reticulate, uncinulate-pubescent, up to about 5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide"  (Macbride, 1948; p. 433).

"Trailing herb with alternate trifoliate leaves, white (Samoa) or mauve (Tonga) papilionaceous flowers, and jointed pods with cylindrical segments" (Whistler, 1988; p. 24).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "occasionally naturalized along roadsides near sea level" (Smith, 1985; pp. 190-191).  "Uncommon in disturbed places in coastal areas" (Whistler, 1988; p. 24).  In Jamaica, "rather common, a weed of sandy pastures and roadsides and rocky or stony waste ground, sea level to 1100 ft"  (Adams, 1972; p. 374).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "West Indies and Mexico southward to Peru, now introduced into and adventive in many other areas" (Smith, 1985; pp. 190-191).

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 (2007)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 190-191) Voucher cited: DA 17039
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 190-191) Vouchers cited: DA 14354, Tothill 108, DA 35, DA 3075, DA 4049, DA 5819, DA 5820, L.11427
French Polynesia Society Islands	Maupiti (Maurua) Island		Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1987) (p. 35) Voucher cited: Fosberg 64846 (US)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 150) Vouchers cited: Grant 4887, GRant 5362, Barrau 2006
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 24)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced invasive	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 66)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Ha‘apai Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 24)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 24)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2005)

Additional information:  Additional online information about Desmodium scorpiurus is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Desmodium scorpiurus may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Adams, C. D. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. 848 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. 1987. Flora of Maupiti, Society Islands. The Smithsonian Institution. Atoll Research Bulletin 294:1-70.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2005. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Smith, Albert C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 3. 758 pp.

U. S. Government. 2006. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.