Grona heterophylla

Grona heterophylla (a synonym of Desmodium heterophyllum) is a low, creeping perennial herb in the family Fabaceae, widespread in tropical Asia. It forms prostrate, much-branched stems that root at the nodes to create dense mats, bearing alternate leaves that are typically trifoliolate, though the terminal leaflet is often larger and differently shaped than the laterals, a variability reflected in the epithet heterophylla; the small leaflets are obovate to rounded with entire margins. Tiny pea-like flowers, pink to purplish, are borne singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is a small, flattened, jointed loment that breaks into one-seeded segments covered with hooked hairs, aiding dispersal by clinging to animals. The species grows in damp grassland, lawns, paddy margins, open disturbed ground and along paths in warm, humid lowland regions.