Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Desmodium incanum

Ngātoro (MK)

Spanish Clover

Multimedia & Additional Resources

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Spanish Clover, Kaimi Clover, Creeping Beggarweed

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Piripiri (AT AK), Ngātoro (MK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Florida - Texas - Uruguay - Argentina; EXOTIC EXOTIC tropical Pacific (incl. Vanuatu - Societies, Hawai‘i)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; S.Group widespread and common; N.Group ?; Land, lowlands - mountains (++++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Manure; Weed - serious

SIMILAR SPECIES: Silverleaf Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum) has leaflets ovate long-tapering to sharp tip (vs. abrupt-tapering to sharp tip).

Enlarged Image of 'Desmodium incanum'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
++++
+++
++++
+++
++
+++
-
-
-

Northern Group: -
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW
P?
-
-
-
-
-

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Desmodium incanum DC.
SYNONYMS: Desmodium canum [illegal name]; Hedysarum incanum

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Fabales (Legumes); FABACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Manure
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Weed - serious. Comments: A very widespread, strong-stemmed, creeping weed. The small burrs attached to clothes. A very persistent and difficult to control weed of gardens and horticultural plots.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.667 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.451 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.3/191 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.390f Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM03a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
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