Desmodium scorpiurus Desv., J. Bot. Agric.
Creators: name: Lima, Laura Cristina Pires
name: Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci De
name: Tozzi, Ana Maria Goulart De Azevedo
name: Lewis, Gwilym Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Fabales
Fabaceae
Desmodium
Desmodium scorpiurus

description: 26. Desmodium scorpiurus (Sw.) Desv., J. Bot. Agric. 1: 122. 1813. Hedysarum scorpiurus Sw., Prodr. 107. 1788. Meibomia scorpiurus (Sw.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 198. 1891. Lectotype (designated by Schubert 1980):— JAMAICA. O.P. Swartz s.n. (lectotype S!, isolectotypes G-DC!, B-WILLD-13825!). Fig. 28.   
 Desmodium virgatum Desv., J. Bot. Agric. 1: 122. 1813. Lectotype (designated here):— JAMAICA. Without collector information. (lectotype P!, isolectotype G!)   
 Desmodium arenarium Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. (quarto ed.) 6: 527. 1823. Meibomia arenaria (Kunth) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 197. 1891. Type:— VENEZUELA. Atures, F.W.H.A. von Humboldt & A.J.A. Bonpland 851 (holotype P-HUMB!).   
 Desmodium multicaule DC., Prodr. 2: 331. 1825. Meibomia multicaulis (DC.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 198. 1891. Type:— PERU. 1807, M. Lagasca 48 (holotype G-DC!).   
 Desmodium parviflorum M. Martens e Galeotti, Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 10(2): 185. 1843. Meibomia martensii (M. Martens e Galeotti) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 197. 1891, non Baker (1876). Lectotype (designated here):— MEXICO. Veracruz, H.G. Galeotti 3337 (lectotype BR989537!, isolectotypes BR989543!, G!, P!).   
 Nissoloides cylindrica M.E. Jones, Contr. W. Bot. 18: 135. 1933. Type:— MEXICO. Jalisco: Guadalajara, 27 November 1930, M.E. Jones 27223 (holotype US!, isotype GH!).   
Prostrate, ascendent, branched subshrub, lacking stolons rooting at the nodes, without a xylopodium; stems virgate, slender, tetragonal, sulcate, uncinate, sparsely hirsute or puberulous-uncinate, rarely glabrescent, not glaucous; internodes 1.1–4.6 cmlong. Stipules 1.5–4 × 1–2 mm, ovate, auriculate, semi-amplexicaul, inserted perpendicularly at the base of the leaf petiole, free from each other, apex acute, margin ciliate, sparsely or densely puberulous-uncinate, rarely sparsely hirsute, or glabrescent, veins slightly conspicuous, persistent; auricle 0.5–2 mm long. Leaves trifoliolate; petiole 7–32 mm long, cylindrical, sulcate, sparsely or densely hirsute; rachis 1–7 mm long; stipels ca. 1 mm long, subulate, margin ciliate, sparsely or densely hirsute on the outer surface, persistent; leaflets discolorous, chartaceous, venation brochidodromous, primary and secondary veins prominent, tertiary veins flush with the abaxial surface, indumentum densely sericeous on the primary, secondary and tertiary veins on the abaxial surface, adaxial surface puberulous or sericeous, uncinate hairs covering both surfaces, terminal leaflet 1.7–3.4 × 0.8–2.1 cm, elliptic, narrowly elliptic or ovate, base oblique, apex subacute, obtuse or slightly retuse, lateral leaflets 1.5–2.4 × 0.6–1.7 cm, the same shape as the terminal leaflet. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary pseudoraceme; the main axis longer than the adjacent leaves, 2.5–13.4 cm long, sparsely or densely puberulous-uncinate and hirsute, 2–4 flowers per node; primary bract 1.5–2 mm long, ovate, margin straight, puberulous-uncinate on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the outer surface; secondary bract 0.5–1 mm long, linear, margin straight, hirsute on the outer surface, caducous, veins inconspicuous on the outer surface; pedicel 4–6 mm long, sparsely or densely puberulous-uncinate and hirsute. Flowers 3–3.5 mm long; calyx bilabiate, tube campanulate, 1–1.5 mm long, sericeous and hirsute on the outer surface; upper lip bifid, the 2 teeth joined for ca. ¾ of their length, acute, ca. 0.2 mm long; lower lip trifid, lateral tooth lanceolate, 1.2–1.5 mm long, central tooth lanceolate, ca. 1.5 mm long; corolla lilac or purple, standard 3–4 × 4 mm, broadly obovate, apex obcordate, maculate at the base, claw ca. 0.5 mm long; wing petals 3–3.5 × 1.5 mm, oblong, apex obtuse, without callosities, claw 0.5 mm long; keel petals 2–2.5 × 2 mm, narrowly obovate, apex acute, with callosities, claw 1.5–2 mm long; androecium diadelphous, ca. 3.5 mm long, vexillary stamen free; ovary 2–2.5 mm long, glabrescent, stipe ca. 0.5 mm long, glabrous. Loment 2.4–3.5 cm long, stipe ca. 1 mm long, uncinate, isthmus central, both margins sinuate; articles uniform 4–7, 4–5 × 1 mm, narrowly elliptic, not tortuous, indehiscent, subcoriaceous, veins insconspicuous, densely uncinate. Seed 2–2.2 × 1 mm, oblong, hilum central.  
 DESMODIUM (LEGUMINOSAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE) IN BRAZIL   
 Phytotaxa 169 (1) © 2014 Magnolia Press • 79 80 • Phytotaxa 169 (1) © 2014 Magnolia Press   
 LIMA ET AL.   
 Selected specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Amazonas: Manaus: Avenida João Alfredo, 2 September 1980, fl., fr., J . Lowe 3969 (K). Bahia: Itapetinga: s. loc., 1971, fl., G. C. P . Pinto (CGMS); Salvador: s. loc., 27 March 1989, fl., fr., G. C. P . Pinto 2 (CEPEC). Goiás: Rialma: rodovia Anápolis, Belém, BR-153, km 153, 3 October 1980, fl., fr., L . Coradin et al. 3474 (CEN, HUEFS, K). Mato Grosso: Nobres: km 128, indústria de Calcário ECOPLAN, 22 April 1983, fl., C. N . da Cunha et al. 974 (UFMT). Mato Grosso do Sul: Rio Verde de Mato Grosso: rodovia BR 163, km 682, 1° córrego ao Norte de Rio Verde de Mato Grosso, 14 June 2007, fl., fr., V. J . Pott & A. Pott 9411 (CGMS, HUEFS); Terenos: Fazenda Modelo, 1 April 2006, fl., fr., T. C . Pina & D. C. Gomes 173 (CGMS). Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte: No entorno da represa Santa Lúcia, 16 November 2002, fl., fr., J. F . Macedo 4359 (PAMG). Pará: Novo Progresso: Serra do Cachimbo, área da aeronáutica, 23 August 2003, fl., fr., A. S. L . Silva 4093 (MG). Pernambuco: Fernando de Noronha: s. loc., 30 April 1997, fl., fr., A. M . Miranda & L. P. Felix 2860 (HUEFS, UEC). Rondônia: São João: Rio Jamari, 27 June 1965, fl., fr., J. M . Pires 9937 (UB).   
 Distribution and Ecology:— Mexico, Central and South America, and occasionaly as a weed in tropical areas of the Pacific and Africa (Schubert 1980, McVaugh 1987). Desmodium scorpiurus occurs in Brazil in areas of Cerrado, the Amazon Forest and the Pantanal and is recorded from the States of Amazonas, Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Pernambuco, and Rondônia. Lima et al. (2010) cited the occurrence of his species in Caatinga vegetation, but it has been collected only in Rain Forest in southern Bahia.   
 Conservation Assessment:— Least Concern (LC), not endangered (IUCN 2001).   
 Phenology:— flowering and fruiting throughout the year.   
 Etymology:— the epithet scorpiurus alludes to the similarity of the fruit to a scorpion's tail.   
 Common Name:— beiço-de-boi; carrapicho.   
 Taxonomic notes:— the prostrate habit, auriculate stipules, diadelphous androecium and narrowly elliptic fruit articles are diagnostic characters of this taxon. It is morphologically similar to D. procumbens by its prostrate habit and elliptic terminal leaflet, but it differs in its auriculate stipules (vs. not auriculate in D. procumbens), diadelphous androecium (vs. Pseudo-monadelphous) and fruit articles not tortuous (vs. tortuous).
description: Published as part of Lima, Laura Cristina Pires, Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci De, Tozzi, Ana Maria Goulart De Azevedo & Lewis, Gwilym Peter, 2014, A Taxonomic Revision of Desmodium (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) in Brazil, pp. 1-119 in Phytotaxa 169 (1) on pages 79-81, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.169.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10089817