Desmodium paniculatum
species of plant
Desmodium paniculatum, the panicled-leaf ticktrefoil, narrow-leaf tick-trefoil or panicled tickclover, is a perennial herb in the pea family, Fabaceae. Belonging to a nearly cosmopolitan genus, the panicled-leaf ticktrefoil is a common native to Eastern North America, ranging from Quebec to Florida and as far West as Texas, Nebraska, and Ontario. The sticky loment can be found in disturbed areas that receive plenty of light, such as roadsides, parks, and abandoned fields.
Description
Desmodium paniculatum grows to 3 feet tall in an erect and spreading habit with alternate, pinnately-trifoliolate leaves. The leaflets are lanceolate to oblong and are usually 2 to 10 times as long as wide. The pedicels are around 1 cm. The flowers of the paniculate inflorescence are light pinkish to lavender and appear June through September. The sticky loments that many people find attached to their shoes and pants are arranged in a row of 2-6 superiorly sinuate and inferiorly triangular segments and appear August–October.
Taxonomy
Desmodium paniculatum was first described as Hedysarum paniculatum by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. In 1825, the Swiss botanist Augustin de Candolle placed Hedysarum paniculatum L. in genus Desmodium, and so Hedysarum paniculatum is a basionym for Desmodium paniculatum (L.) DC.
Desmodium paniculatum is a member of the Desmodium paniculatum complex, a group of closely related taxa that includes Desmodium paniculatum sensu stricto, Desmodium glabellum, Desmodium perplexum, and Desmodium fernaldii.
The public source identifies “Desmodium paniculatum” as species of plant. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Desmodium, paniculatum and species.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Desmodium paniculatum”, the useful work is to connect “species of plant” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5264642. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1753 and 1825.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Desmodium paniculatum”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Desmodium paniculatum primary sources, Desmodium paniculatum archive and Desmodium research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Desmodium paniculatum”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Desmodium paniculatum” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.