Desmodium

Desmodium
Desmodium heterocarpon
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Desmodieae
Subtribe: Desmodiinae
Genus: Desmodium
Desv. (1813), nom. cons.
Species

Many, see text

Synonyms
  • Cyclomorium Walp. (1843)
  • Edusaron Medik. (1787), nom. superfl.
  • Meibomia Heist. ex Fabr. (1759), nom. rej.
  • Nephromeria (Benth.) Schindl. (1924)
  • Nicolsonia DC. (1825)
  • Nissoloides M.E.Jones (1933)
  • Sagotia Duchass. & Walp. (1851)
  • Tropitoma Raf. (1837)

Desmodium is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae, sometimes called tick-trefoil, tick clover, hitch hikers or beggar lice. There are dozens of species and the delimitation of the genus has shifted much over time. Species are distributed widely – from Quebec to northern Argentina in the Americas, across northern and southern tropical Africa, in the southern Arabian Peninsula, in Myanmar and Thailand, New Guinea, and northern and eastern Australia.