Taxon: Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd.

Summary

Genus:

Desmanthus

Family:

Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)

Subfamily:

Caesalpinioideae

Tribe:

Mimoseae

Nomen number:

300178

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 4(2):1047. 1806

Verified:

01/18/2001 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

58 (39 active, 38 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Mimosa virgata L.

Autonym(s)
Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd. var. virgatus

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Acuan virgatum (L.) Medik.
Acuan virgatum (L.) Medik. f. virgatum

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Desmanthus depressus Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.
Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd. var. depressus (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) B. L. Turner

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
Cook, B. et al. Tropical Forages: an interactive selection tool. Web tool CSIRO, DPI&F(Qld), CIAT and ILR, Brisbane, Australia. Note: comments on difficulties distinguishing morphological similar species, as in the case of the misapplication of this name for Desmanthus pernambucanus
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Isely, D. 1970. Legumes of the United States: II. Desmanthus and Neptunia. Iowa State J. Sci. 44:503.
Isely, D. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(1):90.
Lewis, G. P. 1987. Legumes of Bahia
Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
Luckow, M. 1993. Monograph of Desmanthus (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae). Syst. Bot. Monogr. 38:134.
Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. 1936-. Flora of Peru Note: 1936-1971; new ser. 1980-
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Missouri Botanical Garden. W³Tropicos (on-line resource).
National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Pulle, A. A. et al., eds. 1932-. Flora of Suriname.
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
't Mannetje, L. & R. M. Jones, eds. 1992. Forages. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 4:105.
Wiggins, I. L. & D. M. Porter. 1971. Flora of the Galapagos islands.
Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.

Common names

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Chihuahua		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Coahuila de Zaragoza		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Durango		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo León		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Colima		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Michoacán de Ocampo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Rio Grande do Sul
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Anguilla			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda	Antigua		Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Aruba
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Barbados			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cuba
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominican Republic
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Grenada			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Guadeloupe			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Haiti
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Martinique			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Montserrat			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Netherlands Antilles	Bonaire
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Netherlands Antilles	Curacao
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Kitts and Nevis	Saint Kitts		Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Lucia			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Vincent and Grenadines			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Trinidad and Tobago
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Virgin Islands, U.S.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Virgin Islands (British)	Tortola
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Belize
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Corrientes
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Entre Ríos
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Jujuy
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Salta
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile		n.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Uruguay
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador		incl. Galapagos
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru
2	Cultivated	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Mauritius			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii		Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
4	Naturalized					natzd. in paleotropics

Native
Northern America

SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán de Ocampo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Aruba, Anguilla, Netherlands Antilles [Bonaire, Curacao], Antigua and Barbuda [Antigua], Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis [Saint Kitts], St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], St. Vincent and Grenadines, Virgin Islands (British) [Tortola]
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil [Rio Grande do Sul]
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador (incl. Galapagos), Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina [Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Jujuy, Salta], Chile (n.), Paraguay, Uruguay

Cultivated
Africa

WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Mauritius

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India

Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Naturalized (natzd. in paleotropics)

Reference(s)

Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Animal food	forage	potential	National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Animal food	forage	potential	't Mannetje, L. & R. M. Jones, eds. 1992. Forages. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 4:105.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=300178. Accessed 12 May 2026.