Nakedflower Tick-trefoil (Hylodesmum nudiflorum)

Hylodesmum nudiflorum
In Scott's Run Nature Preserve, Virginia
Botanical illustration
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Hylodesmum
Species:	H. nudiflorum
Binomial name
Hylodesmum nudiflorum (L.) H.Ohashi & R.R.Mill
Synonyms[2]
List Desmodium nudiflorum DC. Desmodium nudiflorum f. dudleyi (House) Fassett Desmodium nudiflorum f. foliolatum (Farw.) Fassett Desmodium nudiflorum f. personatum Fassett Hedysarum nudiflorum L. Meibomia nudiflora Kuntze Meibomia nudiflora f. dudleyi House Meibomia nudiflora f. foliolata Farw. Pleurolobus nudiflorus (DC.) MacMill.

Hylodesmum nudiflorum (syn. Desmodium nudiflorum), the naked-flowered tick trefoil, panicled leaf tick trefoil or stemless tick trefoil, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to eastern North America.^[2][3][4] The species is perennial, and is typically found in mature, open woodlands in a variety of soils, preferring those with substantial organic content.^[3] It requires a humid climate demonstrating extremes in temperature, precipitation, and wind.^[5]

The stemless tick trefoil received its common name due to the absence of leaves on the flowering stem, as a separate stem which is about 50 cm or 1.6 ft. tall contains the leaves.^[6] The species has compound leaves with three distinct 4-10 cm (1.6-3.9in.) leaflets, and its flowers are 6-8 mm (0.2-0.3in.) long, range from pink to purple in color, and follow the standard panicle or raceme form.^[6] The species has a tap root, is alternate trifoliate in its leaf arrangement, with a deltoid, oval, or ovate shape in its leaves.^[7] Its fruit stick on to clothing or fur as multiple seeded segments separate from one fruit that is a flat pod shape.^[6] Its fruit type is loment, and can have from 1-4 seeds but usually has 2-3 seeded loments with hooked hairs.^[7] An adult plant can bloom up to 109 flowers, and have a mean of 50 total flowers per plant, with 22 percent of its flowers producing fruit, each having an average of 2.8 seeds (Schaal and Smith, 1980). ^[6]

The plant uses an average amount of water, and is typically found in partly shady areas that have a moist soil moisture.^[7] The species grows in a circumneutral soil pH while being tolerant to the cold, and has a sweet fragrance that attracts bees and other nectarivorous insects.^[7]

Bumblebees serve the plant as its main pollinator, as outcrossing is the predominant form of reproduction and asexual reproduction doesn't occur.^[6] Dispersal of seeds is mainly attributed to the hooked hairs that attach to mammals with fur like deer. ^[6]

Hylodesmum nudiflorum is most typically seen in mature mesic oak forests, which is dominated by the northern red oak and basswood, and can also contain white oak and black cherry.^[6] The plant is a perennial forest forb that subsides in low number and is confined to a specific colony area. ^[6] Its flowers bloom in July and August, and fruits in August and October.^[8]

Hylodesmum nudiflorum is considered rare and in need of special management, as it lives in a low number of current habitats and has a low number of individuals.^[6] The plant was listed in Minnesota as a special concern in 1996, and due to loss of habitat and invasive species taking over the plant status was increased to threatened in 2013.^[6] Conservation efforts are put towards mainly habitat, so active management is not required.^[6]

The plants pollen grains are tricolporate, medium in size, (28.1–)30.2(–33.1) µm in polar axis, (25.0–) 27.3(–29.7) µm in equatorial diameter, P/E  (1.02–)1.11(–1.21), prolate spheroidal or subprolate in shape, elliptic in equatorial view, and almost circular in polar view."^[9]

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