Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC., Fabaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

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

Common name(s): [more details]

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

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 (2011)
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 (2011)
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 (2011)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	uncertain if native	ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre (2011)

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

Information about Desmodium uncinatum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

ILDIS Co-ordinating Centre. 2011. International Legume Database & Information Service. Online searchable database.

Macbride, J. Francis. 1936. Flora of Peru. Field Museum of Natural History, Botanical Series, Vol. XIII. 1936-1971, 6 parts.

McCormack, Gerald. 2011. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

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

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.