GRONA

Grona Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 459. 1790.

50 species

Grona triflora

Grona triflora (L.) H. Ohashi & K. Ohashi, J. Jap. Bot. 93: 117. 2018; Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC., Prodr. 2: 334. 1825; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 173. 1879; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 133. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Maheshwari, Illustr. Fl. Delhi. f. 67. 1966; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 250. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 273. 2006; Cooke, Fl. Bomb. Pres. (Reprint ed.); 1: 387. 1958; Ohashi, Ginkgoana 1: 273. 1973; Fl. China eFloras.org. 10: 276; Fl. Pak. eFloras.org. p. 351; Hedysarum triflorum L., Sp. Pl. 749. 1753.

Perennial herbs, creeping, prostrate caespitose; stem 15-50 cm long, much branched, densely pubescent, rooting at nodes. Leaves 3-foliate, terminal leaflet larger; leaflets 4-8 mm x 3.5-8 mm, obovate, cuneate at base, apex truncate or emarginate, mucronate, glabrous above, pubescent below; petiole 5-7 mm long, petiolules ca. 2 mm long, petiole and petiolules pubescent. Stipules 3-4.5 mm long, acuminate. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, solitary or in leaf-opposed fascicles of 2-6; flowers bright pink or purple, 4-5 mm long; pedicels 4-8 mm long, elongated up to 1.3 cm at fruiting, pubescent; bracts 4-4.5 mm long, ovate, acute. Calyx 3.5-4.5 mm long, densely villous, 2-lipped, upper lobe bifid, lower 3-toothed densely narrow villous, teeth lanceolate, longer than tube. Corolla 5 mm long, pink, purple or white, nearly as long as calyx, papilionaceous; vexillum obcordate, base attenuate, long clawed; wings elliptic, shortly clawed; keel slightly falcate, curved, long clawed. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free, all anthers similar. Legumes narrowly oblong, falcate, flat, 5-16 mm x 2.5-4.5 mm, 3-5-jointed, upper margin straight, lower indentate, articles 3-5, as broad as long i.e. quadrate, puberulous, reticulately veined.

Flowering and Fruiting: July to October
Common Names: Creeping Tick Trefoil, Three-Flower Beggarweed, Tropical Trefoil, Beggarweed, Matty Desmodium; Kudaliya, Motha (Hindi)