Desmodium incanum
Encyclopedia
Desmodium incanum, known as creeping beggarweed or Spanish clover/tick-trefoil, is a perennial plant native to Central
and South America
. It is sometimes considered a weed, and has spread through Florida and across the southern USA into southern Texas and across many Pacific islands; for example on Hawaii
it is known as Kaimi clover or by the Hawaiian
name kaimi ("The Seeker").
There has been long-standing confusion about the correct scientific name. This was long held to be Desmodium canum, and therefore for quite some time D. incanum was believed to be the correct name for the plant today called Desmodium laxiflorum.
Its has branched runners for reproduction. Its leaves are elliptic in shape and are hairy, and its flowers are pink to rose in color. Very frustrating in agriculture are its seedpods. When ripe they easily break off from the plant and due to their tiny hairs they stick to any rough surface. The skin and hairs of an animal for example. Or the clothing of the person who walks through them. And every pod is to pulled out separately one by one afterwards.
The name "Spanish Clover" can also refer to Lotus purshianus, a native pea of California.
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is sometimes considered a weed, and has spread through Florida and across the southern USA into southern Texas and across many Pacific islands; for example on Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
it is known as Kaimi clover or by the Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
name kaimi ("The Seeker").
There has been long-standing confusion about the correct scientific name. This was long held to be Desmodium canum, and therefore for quite some time D. incanum was believed to be the correct name for the plant today called Desmodium laxiflorum.
Its has branched runners for reproduction. Its leaves are elliptic in shape and are hairy, and its flowers are pink to rose in color. Very frustrating in agriculture are its seedpods. When ripe they easily break off from the plant and due to their tiny hairs they stick to any rough surface. The skin and hairs of an animal for example. Or the clothing of the person who walks through them. And every pod is to pulled out separately one by one afterwards.
The name "Spanish Clover" can also refer to Lotus purshianus, a native pea of California.