Three-flower beggarweed, Three-flower tick-trefoil
Desmodium triflorum

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A prostrate herb which forms mats. It can re-grow each year or continue growing from year to year. The plant can be 10-20 cm tall. The stems are 8-20 cm long. The stems are much branched and covered with yellow-brown hairs. The plant can form roots at the nodes of the stem. The leaves have 3 leaflets. These are oblong and 0.4-1.4 cm long by 0.4-1.2 cm wide. They can be hairy underneath. The leaf stalk is 0.4-1.1 cm long. There are normally 1-3 flowers in the axils of leaves. They are about 5 mm long. The petals are blue, purple or red. The fruit is a pod 1.2-1.8 cm long and with 2-5 segments. These are like a half circle in shape. One edge of the pod is indented.

It is used as a green manure and cover plant. It is used for lawns. There are about 350 Desmodium species. They are mostly in the tropics. It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in drier areas. In Papua New Guinea it grows from sea level to 1110 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Cambodia, Central Africa, Central America, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Marquesas, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rotuma, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South America, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

It is sold in local markets in China.

Edible parts

Leaves, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Janglimethi, Klet pla, Kudaliya, Kuddalia, Memang-mong-arabak, Muntamandu, Ranmethi, Rumput barek sisek puteh, San jiao hu, Sirupulladi, Trangqua ba-hoa, Ya tan hoi, Ya tan sai

Synonyms

Hedysarum stipulaceum Burm. f.; Hedysarum triflorum L.; Meibomia triflora (L.) Kuntze;