Florida beggarweed
Family
FabaceaeScientific Name
Desmodium tortuosum
Other Common Names:
dixie ticktrefoil; beggar lice; beggar tick; stick-tight
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Meibomia purpurea
Desmodium tortuosum
Desmodium purpureum
Desmodium annuum
Meibomia tortuosa
Leaves
Alternate, consisting of 3 elliptic to oblong leaflets in upper leaves (trifoliate), perhaps only 1 leaflet in the lower leaves. Leaves occur on petioles and stipules occur where the petiole meets the stem. Each leaflet 3-4 inches long, ovate to lance-shaped.
Identifying Characteristics
Summer annual, reaching 3-9 feet in height. Leaves and stems covered with short, stiff hairs that often stick to clothing. Distinctive segmented fruit that sticks to clothing, hairy leaves and stems, and presence of stipules are all features that aide in the identification of this weed.
Flower Seed Head
Occur near the top of plants as racemes or branched panicles. Petals are bluish-purple to purple, 5-7 mm long.
Seed Fruit
A loment of 2-7 oval to circular segments, each 3-5 mm long, 3-4 mm broad. Each segment encloses a seed and is densely covered with short, stiff hairs that stick to clothing. Cotyledons round to oval with smooth margins, 3-5 mm wide, 5-8 mm long.
Growth Habit
Varies:
upright and nonwoody,
woody bush or tree
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
Varies:
pencil,
dime
Dominant Flower Color
Varies:
blue,
purple,
pink
Flower Symmetry
bilateral symmetry
Leaf Hairs
has hairs
Leaf Arrangement
Varies:
alternate,
opposite
Leaf Margin
entire
Leaf Structure
Varies:
simple,
trifoliate
Leaf Stalk
shorter than leaf
Stem Hairs
has hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
taproot
Life Cycle
summer annual
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb