Gray) Kuntze Desmodium illinoense, the Illinois ticktrefoil, is a flowering plant in the bean family (Fabaceae), native to the central United States and Ontario, Canada.
[3] Desmodium illinoense is a perennial herb with typically a simple stem reaching a height of 1.2 m (4 feet), with much of the shoot covered with hooked hairs which can cause the leaves to stick together.
These are covered with hooked hairs so that they can easily become attached to fur or clothing and be carried some distance before falling to the ground and germinating.
The center of its natural range is the states of Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa; The northern limit of its range includes Minnesota (south eastern part of the state from the Twin Cities area south) where it is found growing in full sun to part shade in sandy or gravelly soils of savannas, hillside prairies, and barrens.
[4] In Minnesota it is also found in openings of oak woods, on dunes, and in thickets; and is listed a threatened species where the few remaining naturally occurring populations are small.