Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Streptophyta

Class: Equisetopsida

Subclass: Magnoliidae

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Grona

Species: triflora

Description: Grona triflora is a creeping, annual or perennial herb with trifoliate leaves, reddish, pinkish, or purplish flowers, and hairy pods. It's also known as creeping tick trefoil.  

Appearance  

Leaves: Alternate, stalked, compound leaves with three leaflets 

Leaflets: Heartshaped, obovate, and glabrous above 

Flowers: Bisexual, borne singly or in groups of up to five 

Fruit: Slightly curved pods that are hairy and 3-5 jointed 

Seeds: Brown or yellow, reniform to orbicular 

Growth  

Grows in turfs, fields, open grasslands, and on roadsides 

Forms large mats 

Stems much-branched, bristly hairy, and extend to 50 cm 

Frequently roots at the nodes 

Habitat  

Widespread in the tropics 

Well-adapted to warm environments 

Found largely between the Tropics 

Leaves are readily frosted, but plants recover with the onset of warmer conditions 

Uses: Grona triflora, also known as creeping tick trefoil, has many uses, including as a food, medicine, and animal feed.  

Food  

The entire plant is used for human nutrition 

Medicine 

Used in folk medicine to treat wounds, diarrhea, rheumatism, dysentery, and skin diseases  

Used in Chinese medicine to treat dysentery, rheumatism, and fever  

Used in Indonesia and the Philippines to treat wounds and ulcers  

Used to treat jaundice, stomach ache, and skin problems  

Used to treat eye-troubles, blindness, whitlow, spleen complaints, and menorrhagia  

Animal feed Used as animal food.  

Other uses Used as a diuretic, Used to treat fever, Used to treat stomach pain, Used to treat skin problems, and Used to treat wounds and ulcers.  

Plant characteristics  

A subshrub that grows in the tropics and subtropics 

Has slightly curved pods that are hairy, 3-5 jointed, about 1.2-1.3 cm long 

Can be propagated by seed or stem cutting 

Has flowers that are probably insect-pollinated 

Has a low growing habit 

Has little dry matter production 

Has difficult seed production.