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Zarzabacoa comun
Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Legumes: pea and bean family

Zarzabacoa comun

Desmodium incanum (Sw.) DC.

Names

EnglishZarzabacoa comun
Dutch—
Spanish—
Chinese—
Scientific nameDesmodium incanum (Sw.) DC.

About this species

The Desmodium incanum of many older sources is actually Desmodium laxiflorum; see below.

Desmodium incanum, also known as creeping beggarweed, Spanish clover, Spanish tick-trefoil or hitchhikers is a perennial plant native to Central and South America. In Hawaiʻi it is known as kaʻimi or kaimi clover from the Hawaiian for "seeker". Initially introduced as forage crop around the world, it has spread to many places although it is no longer an important fodder crop. It is considered a weed both within and outside its native range. It has spread through Florida and across the southern USA into southern Texas and across many Pacific islands, including Hawaiʻi.

The plant has branched runners for reproduction. Its leaves are elliptic in shape and are hairy, and its flowers are pink to rose in color. Very frustrating in agriculture are its seedpods, which when ripe easily break off from the plant. They are also covered in sticky hairs (trichomes) that stick to any rough surface such as skin and hairs of animals and clothing thus aiding spreading. D.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomPlantae
PhylumTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusDesmodium

In Suriname

71Records in Suriname
5iNaturalist observations
1837First record
2026Latest record

Where it has been recorded

  • Paramaribo23
  • Para6
  • Commewijne5
  • Sipaliwini3
  • Wanica1
  • Saramacca1

Districts with at least one record that has coordinates. Shaded districts have records.

Records by month

All years combined.

Sources & credits

Spotted a mistake or know another local name? Tell us.

Related species in Suriname