| Etymology | Genus | After Richard Richardson, an English botanist |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Rough; referring to the leaf texture | |
| Family | Rubiaceae | |
| Synonyms | Plethyrsis glauca Raf., Richardia pilosa Ruiz & Pav., Spermacoce hirsuta Willd. ex Roem. & Schult. | |
| Common Names | Rough Mexican Clover | |
| Status | Exotic: Naturalised (pers. obs.) | |
| Form | Herb | |
| Native Distribution | Tropical America and USA | |
Diagnostics:
A prostrate herb with succulent and very hairy stems. The leaf is covered fine hairs which gives a rough texture. The flowers occurred terminally and sits on two pairs of leafy bracts, with one pair smaller than the other.
Interesting Facts:
The Rough Mexican Clover is naturalised throughout the Old World tropics and even up north to China and Taiwan (eFloras, 2008).
A length of Rough Mexican Clover among other weeds in a manicured lawn.
The white flowers rest on two pairs of leafy bracts.
The leaf is covered with recurved hairs that makes it rough to touch.
The stem is completely hairy.
References
eFloras (2008) Richardia scabra Linnaeus. Flora of China. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge. http://www.efloras.org/. Accessed on 15-Mar-2013.Author: Siyang
Posted: 2013-03-15 / Modified: 2015-01-11
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