Grona heterocarpos (Asian Ticktrefoil)

Native to Tanzania, tropical and subtropical Asia and the western Pacific, this spreading herb or low shrub has leaves divided into three rounded to oblong leaflets. The stems and leaves vary in hairiness. Short, crowded flowering racemes carry numerous small white to violet pea-shaped blossoms, with broad bracts sheltering the developing buds. The jointed seed pods break into separate segments, often bearing hooked hairs that help them cling to passing animals. It is grown as livestock forage and adds nitrogen to pastures through a partnership with root bacteria. Introduced populations occur in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and it is considered invasive on some Pacific islands. Photographed in Colombia.