Desmodium glabellum is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae.

In 1825, the Swiss botanist Augustin de Candolle placed Hedysarum glabellum Michx.

[3] The American physician, botanist, and politician William Darlington described Desmodium dillenii in 1837.

[8][9] Darlington's description was based upon an illustration of Hedysarum trifoliatum published by the German-born British botanist Johann Jacob Dillenius in 1732.

In 1950, the American botanist Bernice Schubert rejected Desmodium dillenii Darl.

as a nomen confusum (a term having no standing in the International Code of Nomenclature of 2018),[12] which means "confusing name".