Spanish Clover

Its native distributions are Mascarene Islands to India, Southeast Asia, Philippines and Taiwan, now widely naturalized in the Pacific eastward to Hawaii. The plant can be grown as a ground cover and green manure.

Trom prei (Cambodian), Bian ye shan ma huang (Chinese), Tellausiri (India), Rumput sisek naga (Malay), Ya-maengmi (Thai), Trang qu'a di diep (Vietnamese).

A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 900 m. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 23 - 28 °C, but can tolerate 12 - 35 °C. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 4,000 mm, but tolerates 1,500 - 5,000 mm, and is able to persist through a dry season of up to 5 months. Succeeds on a wide range of soils from sands to clays. Plants are tolerant of water-logged soils and seasonal, short-term flooding. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 7.

• Stems - young stems are covered in soft brown hairs (1.5-2.0 mm long), while mature stems are woody and hairless.
• Leaves - compound leaves are composed of 3 oval to obovate leaflets. Leaflets have smooth edges (entire margin) with a slight notch at the tip (emarginate). They are densely covered in soft, white hairs.
• Flowers - small flowers are pink and pea-like (3-5 mm long).
• Fruits - fruits are short pods (1.2-2.5 cm long) with wavy edges. Bean-shaped seeds are dark brown and smooth.
• Seeds - bean-shaped or transverse ellipses, dark brown, smooth.

• Propagated by seeds - best sown as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed develops a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination.
• By cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel.
• By Division - larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on until they are rooting well.
• By root cuttings.

(3R)-2',4',5,7-tetrahydroxy-6-methylisolavanone, 4',5,7-trihydroxy-3'-methoxyisoflavone, 2',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyisoflavone, alkaloid, isoflavanone,  dalbergioidin, genistein.

• Roots and leaves, pounded together, are applied to sores.
• Juice dropped into the ear for earache.
• Decoction taken for stomach aches and other abdominal complaints.
• In Cambodia, twigs and leaves used to treat urinary retention and digestive complaints. Also used for diarrhea and dysentery. Leaves used as galatagogue.
• In Mauritius, used as a diuretic, for dysentery, and as a cooling medicine.
• In Lombok, Indonesia, roots, stems, and leaves used for scabies and itches.
• In West Java, Indonesia, used as postpartum remedy. Also for lack of appetite.
• In India, whole plant used as galactagogue and expectorant. Also used as tonic and diuretic. Plant decoction used for stomach aches.
• In Malaysia, used for sores, earaches, stomach aches and abdominal complaints.