Desmodium affine Schlechtendal

Leguminosae

Synonyms

• Desmodium albiflorum Salzmann (1859)
• Desmodium albiflorum Salzmann f. grandifolia Chodat et Hassler (1904)
• Meibomia albiflora (Salzmann) Kuntze (1891)

Common names:

Amor seco

Description:

Herbaceous, perennial with stolons and rhizomes, stems up to 50 cm high. Sticky due to uncinated hairs. Major growth in spring-summer-early autumn; fruit ripening up to early winter; droughts cause heavy defoliation. Mostly self-pollinated but also cross-pollinated; insect pollination is needed for seed production, fecundation process similar to alfalfa tripping off.

Distribution:

In tropical/subtropical America from Mexico to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Habitat:

In shaded areas, humid forests or its borders. Needs deep, well drained soils, high organic matter content, slightly acidic.

Use:

Good forage always tender, up to 17 % crude protein, 0.30 % P; could substitute trefoils in tropical areas since highly palatable and desired by cattle. Nodulates with Rhyzobium of old cowpea group. Plant improvement in Northeast Argentina obtained better plant persistence.

References:

Allen & Allen (1981); Barreto & Kappel (1964); Burkart (1939): (1987); Fernández et al. (1988) ; Izaguirre & Beyhaut (1998); Oliveira (1983)