200 A GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 



<5 „„. ^ 



clusters. Pod nearly round, hairy. In dry places. Long Island, 

 N. Y. to Florida and westward. July. Fig. 609. 



610. TICK-TREFOIL. MEIBOMIA. (DESMODIUM.) 



Perennial herbs, mostly of dry woods, but one in moist 

 places ; often somewhat woody at the base. Leaves compound, 

 the 3 leaflets with the middle one conspicuously longer stalked 

 that the two side ones. Flowers in open, often branched clus- 

 ters, small, mostly purplish in those below. Fruit a jointed 

 pod, the joints somewhat numerous, readily separable, and 

 difficult to remove from clothing. Sometimes this pod is 

 stalked, sometimes not; and the jointed pod is constricted 

 only below or above and below. There are over 20 species, 

 somewhat difficult to identify. The six here included may be 

 separated thus : 



Leaflets of an oblong type 



Flowers very numerous ; pods not stalked 



Showy Tick-trefoil no. 61 1 



Flowers not numerous; pods stalked 



Plant usually smooth Tick-trefoil no. 612 



Plant usually hairy Tick-trefoil no. 613 



Leaflets of an oval type 



Flower cluster at end of a stalk arising from the ground 



Tick-trefoil no. 614 



Flower cluster on a stalk arising from the stem of the plant 



Erect ; leaves mostly at the top of the stem 



Beggar-ticks no. 615 



Reclining; leaves scattered Trailing Tick-trefoil no. 616 



