Code
DEDIN
Growth form
broadleaf
Biological cycle
annual
Habitat
terrestrial
DEDIN
Growth form
broadleaf
Biological cycle
annual
Habitat
terrestrial
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Desmodium galapagense B.L. Rob. |
| synonym | Desmodium hjalmarsonii (Schindl.) Standl. |
| synonym | Desmodium hjalmarsonii (Schindl.)Standl. |
| synonym | Desmodium intortum var. apiculatum B.G.Schub. |
| synonym | Desmodium intortum var. intortum |
| synonym | Desmodium sinclairii Benth. |
| synonym | Desmodium trigonum DC. |
| synonym | Hedysarum intortum Mill. |
| synonym | Hedysarum trigonum Sw. |
| synonym | Meibomia hjalmarsonii Schindl. |
| synonym | Meibomia intorta (Mill.) S.F.Blake |
| synonym | Meibomia intorta (Mill.)S.F.Blake |
| synonym | Meibomia trigona F.W.Gandara |
🗒 Common Names
| Creoles and pidgins; French-based |
|
| Malagasy |
|
📚 Overview
Description
Global description
Desmodium intortum is a creeping and ascending plant, often branched, reaching 1 to 2 m in height. The stem is trigonal, pubescent, covered with rigid hook hairs, clinging to the touch, often reddish brown. The leaves are alternate, compound, with three elliptical leaflets, pubescent on the 2 sides. Pink flowers, turning purple or white, are arranged on terminal and axillary inflorescences. The fruits are often curved pods, 2 to 3 cm long, with unequal elliptical articles and covered with small hooked hairs.
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are kidney-shaped, light green, shortly stalked. The lamina is 6 mm long and 3 mm wide.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple, alternate, light green, carried by a petiole, 12 to 15 mm long. The lamina is obovate, 8 mm long and 6 mm wide, with a clear central rib. The following leaves become trifoliate with two small lateral leaflets of 6 mm long and orbicularis terminal leaflet of 1.5 cm in diameter.
General habit
Prostrate growth habit, ascending to creeping, climbing on sugarcane. It measures 1 to 3 m long.
Underground system
The plant has a taproot system
Stem
The stem is trigonal, full, covered with stiff, curved, hooked hairs, rough to the touch.
Leaf
The leaves are alternate, composite, and trifoliate. They are carried by a petiole,1.5 to 7 cm long, pubescent. The stipules are narrowly ovate to acuminate, 3 to 10 mm long, deciduous. The leaflets are ovate to narrowly ovate, acute to acuminate at the top corner, 3 to 12 cm long and 1.5 to 7 cm wide. The base is rounded or truncated. The margin is entire. The two surfaces are pubescent, with arched venation. The top face is often reddish brown.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence consists of compact racemes, composed of many flowers. They are elongate, terminal or axillary, 10 to 30 cm long, non-leafy.
Flower
The flowers are solitary or in pairs. Primary bracts oval to acuminate, 4 to 10 mm long, deciduous. Calyx 4 to 5 mm long, with 5 lobes, the inferior lobe significantly longer, puberulous to sub-glabrous. The corolla is pink, turning purple or white, 9 to 10 mm long.
Fruit
The fruit is an articulated pod, 2 to 3 cm long, often curved, covered with dense hooked hairs. It consists of 3 to 10 unequally elliptical articles of 3 to 3.5 mm, rounded on both sides, with eccentric narrow articulations.
Seed
The seed is ellipsoid to reniform, 2 mm long.
Desmodium intortum is a creeping and ascending plant, often branched, reaching 1 to 2 m in height. The stem is trigonal, pubescent, covered with rigid hook hairs, clinging to the touch, often reddish brown. The leaves are alternate, compound, with three elliptical leaflets, pubescent on the 2 sides. Pink flowers, turning purple or white, are arranged on terminal and axillary inflorescences. The fruits are often curved pods, 2 to 3 cm long, with unequal elliptical articles and covered with small hooked hairs.
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are kidney-shaped, light green, shortly stalked. The lamina is 6 mm long and 3 mm wide.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple, alternate, light green, carried by a petiole, 12 to 15 mm long. The lamina is obovate, 8 mm long and 6 mm wide, with a clear central rib. The following leaves become trifoliate with two small lateral leaflets of 6 mm long and orbicularis terminal leaflet of 1.5 cm in diameter.
General habit
Prostrate growth habit, ascending to creeping, climbing on sugarcane. It measures 1 to 3 m long.
Underground system
The plant has a taproot system
Stem
The stem is trigonal, full, covered with stiff, curved, hooked hairs, rough to the touch.
Leaf
The leaves are alternate, composite, and trifoliate. They are carried by a petiole,1.5 to 7 cm long, pubescent. The stipules are narrowly ovate to acuminate, 3 to 10 mm long, deciduous. The leaflets are ovate to narrowly ovate, acute to acuminate at the top corner, 3 to 12 cm long and 1.5 to 7 cm wide. The base is rounded or truncated. The margin is entire. The two surfaces are pubescent, with arched venation. The top face is often reddish brown.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence consists of compact racemes, composed of many flowers. They are elongate, terminal or axillary, 10 to 30 cm long, non-leafy.
Flower
The flowers are solitary or in pairs. Primary bracts oval to acuminate, 4 to 10 mm long, deciduous. Calyx 4 to 5 mm long, with 5 lobes, the inferior lobe significantly longer, puberulous to sub-glabrous. The corolla is pink, turning purple or white, 9 to 10 mm long.
Fruit
The fruit is an articulated pod, 2 to 3 cm long, often curved, covered with dense hooked hairs. It consists of 3 to 10 unequally elliptical articles of 3 to 3.5 mm, rounded on both sides, with eccentric narrow articulations.
Seed
The seed is ellipsoid to reniform, 2 mm long.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
No Data
📚 Natural History
Life Cycle
Life cycle
Perenial
Reproduction
Desmodium intortum is a perennial plant. It is propagated by seed but with the stem in contact with moist soil, roots can be formed at the nodes.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Morphology
Growth form
Erected
Liana
Prostrated
Liana climbing structure
Liana without tendril
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Compound
Type of prefoliation
Broad leaves
Compound leaf type
Trifoliate leaf
Latex
Without latex
Stem section
Triangular
Root type
Taproot
Hollow or solid stem
Solid stem
Stipule type
Lanceolate stipule
Leaf attachment type
with petiole
Fruit type
Pod
Pod type
Articulated pod
Cotyledon type
reniform
Lamina base
rounded
truncate
Lamina margin
hairy
entire
Lamina apex
attenuate
acute
mucronate
Upperface pilosity
Dense hairy
Upperface hair type
Pubescent
Lowerface pilosity
Dense hairy
Lamina section
flat
Lamina Veination
in arc
pennate
Flower color
Pinkish
Inflorescence type
Raceme
Stem pilosity
Dense hairy
Stem hair type
Scabrous
Life form
Broadleaf plant
Climber
Look Alikes
Identification keys of lianescent Fabaceae
| Bipinnate leaves | 1 to 2 pairs of pinnae | Mimosa pudica | |||||
| 3 to 9 pairs of pinnae | Mimosa diplotricha | ||||||
| Pinnate leaves | Clitoria heterophylla | ||||||
| Trifoliate leaves | symmetrical lateral leaflets | elliptical or lateral leaflets | terminal leaflets equal to lateral leaflets | Teramnus labialis | |||
| Terminal leaflets larger than lateral leaflets | very marked ribs | Cajanus scarabaeoides | |||||
| ribs lightly marked | leaflets > 10 mm | Desmodium adscendens | |||||
| leaflets < 10 mm | Desmodium triflorum | ||||||
| Ends of leaflets wedged | Narrow lanceolate leaflets (2 cm) | Macroptilium lathyroides | |||||
| large acuminate leaflets | Trigonal stem, scabrous at the angles | Desmodium intortum | |||||
| Cylindrical stem | Leaflets with a silver tinge | petiolules of 2 mm | Desmodium incanum | ||||
| petiolules 5 to 15 mm | Desmodium uncinatum | ||||||
| Green uniform leaflets | wide terminal leaflet (7 cm) | Centrosema pubescens | |||||
| very wide terminal leaflet(15 cm) | Centrosema plumieri | ||||||
| asymmetrical lateral leaflets | Terminal leaflet has a longer width than length | Rhynchosia malacophylla | |||||
| terminal leaflet as wide as long | large leaves (15 cm) | Rhynchosia viscosa | |||||
| small leaves (7 cm) | Rhynchosia minima | ||||||
| elongated terminal leaflets | lateral leaflets with a single rounded lobe | ||||||
| lateral leaflets without lobe | large stipules (6 mm) | Lablab purpureus | |||||
| small stipules (2 mm) |
Mucuna pruriens |
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Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Ecology
Comoros: Species observed in the north of Grande Comore, at medium altitude. It is highly invasive and grows by spreading on the floor, forming a continuous mat in sweet potato plots, in young fallows of vegetables and in plots of banana in agroforestry.
Madagascar: Desmodium intortum is a subspontaneous species, becoming invasive in some areas of the Highlands or at medium altitude (Alaotra depression - Mangoro), on fertile soils and rich in organic matter (peri-urban areas around the villages or near lowland, along roadsides and in canals).
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: Species present in the north and south of the island at low altitude and in the west of the island at medium altitude.
Seychelles: absent
Madagascar: Desmodium intortum is a subspontaneous species, becoming invasive in some areas of the Highlands or at medium altitude (Alaotra depression - Mangoro), on fertile soils and rich in organic matter (peri-urban areas around the villages or near lowland, along roadsides and in canals).
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: Species present in the north and south of the island at low altitude and in the west of the island at medium altitude.
Seychelles: absent
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Habitat
Terrestrial
Description
Geographical distibution
Madagascar
Reunion Island
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Origin
Desmodium intortum is native to Central America and northern South America.
Worldwide distribution
The species has been introduced into Central and Eastern Africa, the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Reunion, Grande Comore), India and Oceania (notably eastern Australia).
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Risk Statement
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Local harmfulness
Comoros: Species frequent and very abundant where it is found (Grande Comore). It stifles cultures of sweet potatoes and young vegetables.
Madagascar: Desmodium intortum is a weed little present in crops but sometimes troublesome, forming a thick bushy vegetation.
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: Species widely introduced as a forage plant, now naturalized and become a weed, especially in sugarcane. It is also a ruderal species along roads and paths or on the edge of fields.
Seychelles: absent.
Comoros: Species frequent and very abundant where it is found (Grande Comore). It stifles cultures of sweet potatoes and young vegetables.
Madagascar: Desmodium intortum is a weed little present in crops but sometimes troublesome, forming a thick bushy vegetation.
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: Species widely introduced as a forage plant, now naturalized and become a weed, especially in sugarcane. It is also a ruderal species along roads and paths or on the edge of fields.
Seychelles: absent.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
Uses
Livestock feed: In Madagascar, the Desmodiums are mostly excellent fodder. D. intortum and D. uncinatum that eliminate most other plants are used in SCV as bright covers, controlled by mowing and by low dose of glyphosate
Comoros: it was introduced for livestock feed.
Agronomy: Desmodium intortum is used as a cover crop; see the following document:
Reproducible technical practices with coverage of Desmodium Michellon Roger (2000) (download)
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Livestock feed: In Madagascar, the Desmodiums are mostly excellent fodder. D. intortum and D. uncinatum that eliminate most other plants are used in SCV as bright covers, controlled by mowing and by low dose of glyphosate
Comoros: it was introduced for livestock feed.
Agronomy: Desmodium intortum is used as a cover crop; see the following document:
Reproducible technical practices with coverage of Desmodium Michellon Roger (2000) (download)
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Management
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Local control
Comoros: Manual weeding
Madagascar: Manual control is difficult on developed plants. If necessary, possible control on pre-emergence with atrazine, diuron or oxadiazon. The Desmodiums are frequently tolerant to 2,4-D in old stage (but seedlings are susceptible).
Comoros: Manual weeding
Madagascar: Manual control is difficult on developed plants. If necessary, possible control on pre-emergence with atrazine, diuron or oxadiazon. The Desmodiums are frequently tolerant to 2,4-D in old stage (but seedlings are susceptible).
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Information Listing
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
References
- Husson, O., H. Charpentier, F.-X. Chabaud, K. Naudin, Rakotondramanana et L. Séguy (2010). Flore des jachères et adventices des cultures. Annexe 1 : les principales plantes de jachères et adventices des cultures à Madagascar. In : Manuel pratique du semis direct à Madagascar. Annexe 1 - Antananarivo : GSDM/CIRAD, 2010 : 64 p.
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cirad. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
Information Listing > References
- Husson, O., H. Charpentier, F.-X. Chabaud, K. Naudin, Rakotondramanana et L. Séguy (2010). Flore des jachères et adventices des cultures. Annexe 1 : les principales plantes de jachères et adventices des cultures à Madagascar. In : Manuel pratique du semis direct à Madagascar. Annexe 1 - Antananarivo : GSDM/CIRAD, 2010 : 64 p.
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cirad. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
La flore des mauvaises herbes de la Canne à Sucre à La Réunion. Caractérisation à partir des témoins des essais d’herbicides. 2005-2016
MP
Marnotte PascalWeeds of tropical rainfed cropping systems: are there patterns at a global level of perception?
TL
Thomas Le BourgeoisChoosing cover crops to enhance ecological services in orchards: a multiple criteria and systemic approach applied to tropical areas
TL
Thomas Le BourgeoisCaractérisation des communautés adventices des vergers d’agrumes de la Réunion et détermination d’espèces favorables à la mise en place de la lutte biologique par conservation
TL
Thomas Le BourgeoisImages
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Desmodium%2520intortum
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Fabales |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Genus | Desmodium |
| Species | Desmodium intortum (Mill.) Urb. |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
