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Desmodium incanum (Sw.) DC.
West Indian Beggar’s-ticks

Desmodium incanum
Copyright by: George D. Gann, in habitat, Rockdale Pineland

Family: Fabaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: West Indies, South Florida, likely elsewhere in the American tropics but range of this taxon unclear due to taxonomic lumping and splitting.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Comments: The FISF and IRC have long considered that there were two forms of what has been treated as Desmodium incanum in South Florida, one native and one perhaps introduced. While most plants grow as weeds, with elliptic leaves that are often variegated, other individuals with larger, ovate leaves with acute tips have been observed in undisturbed pine rocklands and rockland hammock ecotones in Miami-Dade County. Franck et al. (in prep.) have determined that the weedy plants are likely Desmodium mauritianum, introduced from the Old World, a taxon that is often placed into synonymy under Desmodium incanum (see e.g. GFIF 2022). Desmodium incanum, in the narrow sense, has been documented in the United States only in Miami-Dade County, Florida south of the Miami River, and once along the Snake Bight Trial in Everglades National Park in the southeasternmost Monroe County mainland. Plants grow in a variety of calcareous habitats, including pine rocklands, edges of rockland hammocks, marl prairies, and open coastal berms. One of the best populations can be observed at the Florida International University Environmental Preserve. We are currently editing data between the two species, and more Desmodium incanum records will be added.

Other data on Desmodium incanum available from :

Desmodium incanum has been found in the following 11 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Florida City Pineland Present Native
Fuchs Hammock Preserve Assumed to be Present Native
Goulds Pineland Present Native
Hattie Bauer Hammock Assumed to be Present Native
Larry and Penny Thompson Park Present Native
Luis Martinez United States Army Reserve Station, Richmond Pine Rocklands Present Native
Palm Drive Pineland Present Native
Rockdale Pineland Present Native
Zoo Miami Present Native

Desmodium incanum has been found in the following 2 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Mainland) Native

Desmodium incanum has been found in the following 3 habitats :
Marl Prairie
Pine Rockland
Rockland Hammock

All Images:

Desmodium incanum
Copyright by: George D. Gann, in habitat, Rockdale Pineland
Desmodium incanum
Copyright by: Alan Franck, 2021.
Desmodium incanum
Copyright by: Alan Franck, 2021.
Desmodium incanum
Copyright by: Alan Franck, 2021.
Desmodium incanum
Copyright by: Alan Franck, 2019.