Wild Granite

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This is one of the tick-trefoils, plants of the genus Desmodium.
This plant was seen and photographed in the Matanzas province of Cuba. The key and description in Flora de Cuba would indicate that this is Desmodium canum, a species that does not occur in Florida. It is nearly identical to a species that is present, a non-native, Desmodium incanum, which is listed as a synonym of D. canum in some references. The main difference is that the uppersides of the leaves of D. canum are solid green while those of D. incanum have a lighter area on either side of the midvein.
Desmodium canun common names include wild granite and tick trefoil. A perennial herb that either grows up to 2m ((6-1/2 ft.) along the ground or sometimes somewhat shrub-like. Most of the plant is covered with a pilose or ciliate pubescence . The alternate leaves are tri-foliate and up to 4cm (1-1/2 in.) long. Leaflets are entire, elliptic to lanceolate with tips that vary from rounded to acute. There are a pair of minute bracks at the base of each leaflet.
For more information on this sepcies visit the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve (Bahamas) website.