ClRCrLAR No. 13— (Agros. 45.) 



United States Department of Agriculture^ 



DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY. ^ ^ ' ^'**< 



[Grass and Forage Plant Investigation.] r> ■■ 



FLORIDA BE(i(iAR WEED. 



(Also Kiiovvu as Beggar Weed, Florida Clover, (Jiant Beggar Weed.) 



{Desmodimn tortuosum. ) 



DESCRIPTION. 



Florida beggar weed is an erect annual, a native of the West 

 Indies, and perhaps also of southern Florida. It is a leguminous 

 plant with rather woody stalks from 3 to 8 or 10 feet high, bearing 

 an abundant leafage above and 

 when in flower tipped with much- 

 branched erect panicles, the as- 

 cending lateral branches often 8 

 to 12 inches long. The seeds are 

 borne in many - jointed prickly 

 pods, which break apart at matur- 

 ity and are carried about by stick- 

 ing to the bodies of animals or the 

 clothing of persons. The plant is 

 hairy throughout, and has trifoli- 

 ate leaves, the obliquely rhomboid 

 leaflets being from 2 to 4 inches 

 long. Florida beggar weed is 

 closely related to the beggar weeds 

 or beggar lice of northern wood- 

 lands and prairies. Being a sub- 

 tropical species, it is adapted to 

 cultivation either as forage or for 

 soil renovation in subtropical re- 

 gions. It now ranks in the esti- 

 mation of the planter with velvet 

 1 ,, , 1 -j^ 1 r Fid. 1— BeggarweediDeswixJiuin tortwmini'^ 



bean, thougli perhaps its sphere or 



usefulness is not so extended as the latter. 



BEGGAR WEED AS A FERTILIZER. 



In common with all other leguminous plants, the beggar weed has 

 the power of taking nitrogen from the air by means of tubercle- 

 forming bacteria in its roots. Beggar weed may be used as a niti*o- 

 gen gatherer by the farmer, who is thus enabled to procure at small 

 expense large quantities of this most valuable fertilizer or plant food. 



