''Kummerowia stipulacea'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name Korean clover. It is native to China, Japan, Korea, and Russia, and it is present in the eastern United States as an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

.''Kummerowia stipulacea''.
Flora of China. This annual herb grows prostrate, spreading, or erect stems. It grows up to 60 centimeters tall. The leaves are made up of three oval leaflets. One to five flowers occur in the leaf axils. There are

cleistogamous Cleistogamy is a type of automatic self-pollination of certain plants that can propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers. Especially well known in peanuts, peas, and pansies, this behavior is most widespread in the grass family. How ...

flowers, which self-fertilize and never open, and chasmogamous flowers, which open and receive pollen from other plants.Gucker, Corey L. 2010
''Kummerowia stipulacea'' and ''K. striata''
In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. The latter flower type is purple-blue in color.''Kummerowia stipulacea''.
USDA Plant Fact Sheet. The fruit is a small legume pod containing one seed. Though it often co-occurs with its congener Kummerowia striata, it is easily identified by large papery stipules which are especially visible for young leaves. This plant was introduced to the United States when it was intentionally planted in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

, by the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

in 1919. This species and Japanese clover were used to revegetate abandoned

coal mine Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

sites. Its seed was spread to attract wildlife and as a forage for livestock. It was used to prevent

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...

along roadsides. It was planted in rotation with cereal crops to enhance the soil. It persisted and spread. Today this plant grows in the wild and provides food for a number of mammal and bird species. It is also a high-quality livestock forage. The seed is still sold for planting. Three

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s are available: "Climax", "Harbin", and "Rowan". Despite its status as a

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

in some areas, it is not very aggressive and not considered a noxious weed.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3336452 Desmodieae