Desmodium triflorum

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Leaves - tea

None known.

Where to Find It

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

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, PNG, 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 to Identify

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.

How to Grow

Propagation: Best sown as soon as ripe. Stored seed develops a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification — pour a small amount of nearly boiling water over the seeds (taking care not to cook them) and soak for 12–24 hours in warm water. If seeds have not swollen by then, nick the seedcoat carefully without damaging the embryo and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Germination usually occurs within 1–4 months at 25°C. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough and grow on until ready to plant out. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel can also be used. Divide larger clumps directly into permanent positions; pot up smaller clumps until well rooted. Root cuttings are also an option.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is antipyretic, antiseptic, and expectorant. A decoction is commonly used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, and to quench thirst. It is also used as a mouthwash. The crushed plant or a poultice of the leaves is applied externally to wounds, ulcers, and skin problems. The whole plant is used medicinally to induce sweating and promote digestion.

Other Uses

Grown as a green manure and cover crop to suppress weeds and prevent soil erosion. The creeping mat of vegetation provides effective ground cover during the wet season, particularly in mown or closely cut settings such as under plantation crops and in lawns. Bird-attracting; Butterfly Food Plant; Carbon Farming.

Desmodium triflorum is a compact annual or perennial reaching 0.2 m tall and wide, growing at a fast rate. Insect-pollinated flowers appear on nitrogen-fixing plants noted for wildlife attraction. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with well-drained preference and mildly acidic to basic pH. Tolerates full shade through no shade and prefers moist soil. Hardy to UK zone 10.

Other Information

It is sold in local markets in China.

Notes

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.

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