Japanese Clover, Kummerowia striata
(also called Lespedeza striata)
Fabaceae or Pea Family
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Very low, creeping plant with smooth stems. Leaves have 3 stalkless, oval leaflets with strongly marked veins. Flowers very small, pink on top and white, with a purple nose, in front, resembling sweet pea flowers. Blooms in summer. Fruit is a small, one-seeded, pea pod.
A tiny alien weed from Asia. Likes open, disturbed places, like roadsides. Common in the gravel near the Park entrance, but not likely to be noticed unless one gets down on all fours. Other pea family members have similar leaves and flowers, but the diminutive size of this plant, very strongly marked leaves, and tricolor flower should make idenification easy. This plant was previously misidentified as creeping bush clover, which, so far, is unknown in the Park. |
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