Desmodium ochroleucum M.A. Curtis ex Canby

Cream Tick Trefoil; White Tick Trefoil

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Cream Tick Trefoil is a native perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is native to west, southwest, and central Alabama. Cream Tick Trefoil occurs in hardwood forests, on prairies, in cedar glades, and on roadsides. It is found in areas with basic soils. Cream Tick Trefoil is an herbaceous perennial from a tap root. The stems are pubescent with uncinate (hoked) hairs, trail along the ground, and are up to 4 feet long. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and pinnately trifoliate. Leaflets are ovate to rhombic in outline, thick in texture, and have prominent veins. The leaves are glabrous or pubescent along the veins on the lower surface. Flowers are produced in terminal and axillary racemes. Individual flowers are papilionaceous and white or cream in color. The fruit is a loment with 2-5 segments. The fruit segments are glabrous on the surfaces but pubescent along the margins. Cream Tick Trefoil is listed as a S2 species by the Alabama Natural Heritage Program (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state.). Globally it is listed as a G1/G2 species (G1 - Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences), or very few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or especially vulnerable to extinction because of some factor of its biology. G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).--A. Diamond

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Native S2 (State Rank) G1G2 (Global Rank)

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