| DESCRIPTION: Extremely variable, twining or prostrate, trailing, herbaceous legume, sometimes woody at the base. Stems 0.3-3 m long. Leaflets variable in shape (1-) 3-6 (-8) cm long, (0.5-) 2-3.5 (-5) cm wide. Flowers white, pink or mauve, cream to pale salmon. Pods 2.5-6 cm long, 2-4 mm wide. USE: Permanent pastures and agroforestry applications. Has grown well under citrus (Citrus sinensis), banana (Musa sp.) and coconut (Cocos nucifera). It can be grazed fairly intensively or cut for green chop. Tribal people use seeds as food, and plant extracts are used in natural medicines in India. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: Rabbit vine. FURTHER INF: Pan-tropical at latitudes between about 25ºN-29ºS, from sea level to 3000 m in grasslands, grasslands with scattered trees, thickets, bushland, forest clearings, cultivation and along road edges. Found in areas with average annual temperatures of about 14-27ºC, sometimes with frost. Mostly found in run-on or moister areas, in regions with average annual rainfall (500-) 750-1500 (-2500) mm. Best sown in areas with rainfall above1000 mm. Found in well- (sometimes poorly-) drained sands to clays with pH (5.0-) 6.0-8.0 (-9.0). DM yields up to 10-16 t/ha/year but often much lower. |