Desmanthus

{{Short description|Genus of legumes}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Starr 080605-6367 Desmanthus pernambucanus.jpg |image_caption = ''Desmanthus pernambucanus'' |taxon = Desmanthus |authority = Willd.<ref name="GRIN">{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?3526 |title=Genus: ''Desmanthus'' Willd. |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=2014-01-21 |accessdate=2014-10-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019082420/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?3526 |archivedate=2014-10-19 }}</ref> |type_species = ''Desmanthus virgatus'' |type_species_authority = (L.) Willd. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = See text |synonyms = * ''Acuan'' Medik. * ''Darlingtonia'' DC. |synonyms_ref = <ref name="GRIN"/> }}

'''''Desmanthus''''' is a genus of flowering plants in the mimosoid clade of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the pea family, Fabaceae. The name is derived from the Greek words δεσμός (''desmos''), meaning "bundle", and ἄνθος (''anthos''), meaning "flower".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=agbm4S1eCQsC | last1 = Holloway | first1 = Joel Ellis | last2 = Neill | first2 = Amanda|title=A Dictionary of Common Wildflowers of Texas & the Southern Great Plains |publisher=TCU Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-87565-309-9 |page=55}}</ref> It contains about 24 species of herbs and shrubs that are sometimes described as being suffruticose and have bipinnate leaves. ''Desmanthus'' is closely related to ''Leucaena'' and in appearance is similar to ''Neptunia''. Like ''Mimosa'' and ''Neptunia'', ''Desmanthus'' species fold their leaves in the evening. They are native to Mexico and North, Central and South America. Members of the genus are commonly known as '''bundleflowers'''.<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=26657 |taxon=''Desmanthus'' |accessdate=2014-10-14}}</ref> '''Donkey beans''' is another common name and originated in Central America, where ''Desmanthus'' species are highly regarded as fodder for these domestic draught animals.

==Description== {{cladogram|title= |caption=Phylogenetic tree of ''Leucaena'' group<ref name=lei2>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Hughes|first=C.E.|author2=Bailey, C.D.|author3=Krosnick, S.|author4=Luckow, M.A.|title=Relationships Among Genera of the Informal ''Dichrostachys'' and ''Leucaena'' Groups (Mimosoideae) Inferred from Nuclear Ribosomal ITS Sequences|editor=B.B. Klitgaard|editor2=A. Bruneau|encyclopedia=Advances in Legume Systematics|volume=Part 10, Higher Level Systematics|year=2003|publisher=Kew Publishing|pages=221–238|url=http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/~bailey/Hughes%20et%20al%20Advances%20X.pdf|accessdate=2014-10-14|archive-date=2013-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205194613/http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/~bailey/Hughes%20et%20al%20Advances%20X.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> |clades= {{clade | style=font-size:75%;line-height:75% |label1=''Leucaena'' group |1={{Clade |1={{clade |1=''Schleinitzia'' |2={{clade |1=''Kanaloa'' |2=''Desmanthus'' }} }} |2=''Leucaena''}} }} }} [[Image:A tall Desmanthus bicornutus at Hughenden in western Queensland.jpg|thumb|right|240px|''Desmanthus bicornutus'']]

[[Image:Desmanthus illinoensis seeds.jpg|thumb|right|240px|''Desmanthus illinoensis'' seeds]]

[[Image:Desmanthus pern 83565 b.jpg|thumb|right|240px|''Desmanthus pernambucanus'']]

[[Image:Desmanthus pubescens 054.JPG|thumb|right|240px|''Desmanthus pubescens'']]

[[Image:Desmanthus virgatus growing with buffel grass.jpg|thumb|right|240px|''Desmanthus virgatus'' and buffelgrass]]

[[Image:Desmanthus illinoensis pods.JPG|thumb|right|240px|''Desmanthus illinoensis'']]

There are considerable differences in the descriptions of ''Desmanthus'' in the literature (see Bogdan 1977; Skerman 1977; National Academy of Science 1979; Allen & Allen 1981; Reid 1983; Hacker 1990). For example, Reid (1983) says that ''Desmanthus virgatus'' ranges from "leggy" plants in the humid tropics to compact bushes in the semi-arid zones to prostrate in the montane zones; Allen and Allen (1981) state that ''Desmanthus'' grows to 3 metres; Hacker (1990) states that ''D. virgatus'' is an erect shrub 1.3 metres tall. All these views illustrate the great diversity and polymorphism within the genus and between species.

==Phytochemistry== The root-bark of ''D. illinoensis'', which accounts for half of the total weight of the root system, is reported to contain anywhere from 0 to 0.34% DMT and 0.11% N-Methyltryptamine. Alkaloid content is highly variable in this species.<ref>[http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/ayahuasca_apa/aya_sec3_part2_desmanthus.shtml Desmanthus (Ayahuasca: alkaloids, plants & analogs)]</ref>

Likewise, root bark of ''Desmanthus leptolobus'' has been found to contain N,N-DMT and related tryptamines. While its only reported quantitative analysis was 0.14% (Appleseed), all instances of co-occurrence with ''D. illinoensis'' showed it to be noticeably stronger than ''D. illinoensis'', according to co-thin layer chromatography of the root bark.<ref name="Ayahuasca: alkaloids, plants & analogs: assembled by Keeper of the Trout">[http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/ayahuasca_apa/aya_sec3_part2_desmanthus.shtml Ayahuasca: alkaloids, plants & analogs: assembled by Keeper of the Trout]</ref>

==Uses== During the 1990s in Australia, three species of ''Desmanthus'' were released as pasture legumes and many other accessions are being evaluated as pasture species for clay soils. The three old released cultivars are: * ''Desmanthus virgatus'' Cultivar "Marc"(Accession number: CPI 78373) which is described as early flowering, decumbent to ascending, growing 30 to 60 cm tall and originates from Argentina. * ''Desmanthus leptophyllus'' Cultivar "Bayamo" (CPI 82285), mid season flowering, ascending type, 95–135 cm tall, from Cuba * ''Desmanthus pubescens'' Cultivar "Uman" (CPI 92803), late flowering, decumbent shrub, taller and wider spreading than Marc, 40–100 cm tall, from Mexico. Of these three, only the cultivar Marc is still commercially available. In 2015 five new cultivars of Desmanthus named JCU 1 to JCU 5 have been granted PBR and are commercially available as a blend named "Progardes", consisting of ''D. bicornutus'', ''D. leptophyllus'' and ''D. virgatus'', these have been developed in Queensland Australia as a pasture legume for semi-arid tropical/subtropical alkaline clay soils. Progardes became available in 2013 in Northern Australia and some 35,000 to 50,000 ha has been already sown into native and buffelgrass pasture.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.northqueenslandregister.com.au/news/agriculture/general/news/new-legume-capable-of-persisting-in-dry-times/2652519.aspx?storypage=0 |title=New legume capable of persisting in dry times |work=North Queensland Register |date=2013-04-01 |accessdate=2014-10-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/080413/australia___better_grass_means_better_beef_.aspx |title=Australia - Better grass means better beef |work=Meat Trade Daily News |date=2013-04-13 |accessdate=2014-10-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020024729/http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/080413/australia___better_grass_means_better_beef_.aspx |archive-date=2014-10-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Chris |last=Gardiner |author2=Nick Kempe |author3=Iaian Hannah |author4=Jim McDonald |title=PROGARDES: a legume for tropical/subtropical semi-arid clay |journal=Tropical Grasslands |year=2013 |volume=1 |pages=78–80 |doi=10.17138/tgft(1)78-80|doi-access=free }}</ref> In recent times additional cultivars have seen developed including cv JCU 6,7,8 and 9. These can also be included in the Progardes blend. The breeding of intraspecific and interspecific crosses are well advanced.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stuart|first=Peter|date=|title=Intraspecific and interspecific crossing of Desmanthus yields new and novel plants|url=http://www.agronomyaustraliaproceedings.org/images/sampledata/2017/102_ASA2017_Stuart_Peter_Final.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717105440/http://www.agronomyaustraliaproceedings.org/images/sampledata/2017/102_ASA2017_Stuart_Peter_Final.pdf |archive-date=2020-07-17 |access-date=|website=agronomy australia}}</ref> In terms of animal production Progardes has been to shown to enhance beef production.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gardiner|first=Chris|date=|title=Progardes an update|url=https://researchonlne.hcu.edu.au/59973/|access-date=|website=}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In its native range in the United States, the Land Institute is selectively breeding the widely distributed Illinois bundleflower (''Desmanthus illinoensis'') to be a perennial seed crop for human food, in addition to forage / pasture. It offers many of the advantages in terms of nutrition, protein and nitrogen fixation as soybeans or alfalfa, but as a perennial. Perennial crops tend to require less input of chemicals and energy, and less weed control, for comparable or higher yields to annuals in many systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/kspmcpg7714.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020140858/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/kspmcpg7714.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 20, 2014 |title=ILLINOIS BUNDLEFLOWER ''Desmanthus illinoensis'' (Michx.) MacMill. ex B.L. Rob. & Fernald |work=Plant Guide |publisher=National Resources Conservation Service |accessdate=2014-10-14}}</ref>

==Species== {{div col|colwidth=32em}} * ''Desmanthus acuminatus'' Benth. – wild tantan * ''Desmanthus balsensis'' J.L.Contr. * ''Desmanthus bicornutus'' S.Watson – two-horn bundleflower * ''Desmanthus brevipes'' B.L.Turner * ''Desmanthus cooleyi'' (Eaton) Trel. – Cooley's bundleflower * ''Desmanthus covillei'' (Britton & Rose) Wiggins ex B.L.Turner – Coville's bundleflower * ''Desmanthus fruticosus'' Rose * ''Desmanthus glandulosus'' (B.L.Turner) Luckow – glandular bundleflower * ''Desmanthus hexapetalus'' (Micheli) J.F.Macbr. * ''Desmanthus illinoensis'' (Michx.) MacMill. ex B.L.Rob. – Illinois bundleflower * ''Desmanthus interior'' (Britton & Rose) Bullock * ''Desmanthus leptolobus'' Torr. & A.Gray – slenderlobe bundleflower * ''Desmanthus leptophyllus'' Kunth – slenderleaf bundleflower * ''Desmanthus obtusus'' S.Watson – bluntpod bundleflower * ''Desmanthus oligospermus'' Brandegee * ''Desmanthus painteri'' (Britton & Rose) Standl. * ''Desmanthus paspalaceus'' (Lindm.) Burkart * ''Desmanthus pernambucanus'' (L.) Thell. – pigeon bundleflower * ''Desmanthus pringlei'' (Britton & Rose) F.J.Herm. * ''Desmanthus pubescens'' B.L.Turner * ''Desmanthus pumilus'' (Schltdl.) J.F.Macbr. * ''Desmanthus reticulatus'' Benth. – netleaf bundleflower * ''Desmanthus tatuhyensis'' Hoehne – dwarf bundleflower ** var. ''brevipes'' (B.L.Turner) Luckow ** var. ''tatuhyensis'' Hoehne * ''Desmanthus velutinus'' Scheele – velvet bundleflower * ''Desmanthus virgatus'' (L.) Willd. – wild tantan ** var. ''depressus'' (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) B.L.Turner ** var. ''glandulosus'' B.L.Turner<ref name="ITIS"/><ref> ** var. ''virgatus'' (L.) Willd. {{cite web |url=http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb?version~10.01 |title=''Desmanthus'' |work=LegumeWeb |publisher=International Legume Database & Information Service |accessdate=2008-04-27}}</ref><ref name="GRINSpecies">{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?3526 |title=GRIN Species Records of ''Desmanthus'' |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |accessdate=2014-10-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115048/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?3526 |archive-date=2015-09-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> {{div col end}}

==See also== * Psychedelic plants

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Desmanthus|''Desmanthus''}} *{{Wikispecies-inline|Desmanthus|''Desmanthus''}}

Category:Fodder Category:Desmanthus Category:Fabaceae genera Category:Flora of the Americas