Kummerowia striata: Uses (Ethnobotany)
It is used as forage, hay, and green manure to enrich the soil as it fixes nitrogen.
Plant Profile: Kummerowia striata
Taxonomy: Kummerowia striataNames
Common Lespedeza, Japanese Clover, Lespedeza
Phonetic Spelling:koom-er-OW-ee-uh stry-AY-tuh
Genus:Kummerowia
Species:striata
Family:Fabaceae
Lespedeza is a summer annual weed belonging to the legume family. It can be found in various environments, including fields, open woodlands, roadsides, and other disturbed areas. This plant thrives in full sunlight and prefers moist, sandy soils, though it can adapt to different soil types. Historically, Lespedeza has been utilized in pastures for both forage and hay production, as well as for its ability to fix nitrogen in the soil.
Kummerowia striata Feature Summary
Kummerowia striata Image Gallery
Tags
#weed
#weedy
#summer annual weed
#nitrogen fixation
#deer browsing plant
#warm season weed
#lawn weed
#bird friendly
Similar Plants
Kummerowia striata Feature Summary
Attributes
It is used as forage, hay, and green manure to enrich the soil as it fixes nitrogen.
Eastern USA
Seeds are eaten by game birds and songbirds. The foliage is eaten by deer and other herbivores.
Lespedeza is commonly used as forage in pastures. It may be grazed or cut for hay when in 1/2 bloom stage.
Annual
Fruit
Fruits are 0.2 inch long legumes and each contain a single seed.
Legume
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
1/4 inch long 5 petaled flowers appear in the leaf axils in groups of 1-3. They can be upright or horizontal. The shape is similar to pea flowers with the lower petal being pink or purple and the to smaller upper petals are white. Bloom time is mid-summer for 1-2 months.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Head
Insignificant
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
Lipped
< 1 inch
Leaves
The alternate compound leaves are trifoliate with leaflets being ¼-1" long and about one-third to one-half as much across. The leaflets are broadly oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate in shape and margins are entire.
Green
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Elliptical
Oblong
Obovate
Entire
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Stem
The stems are purplish with appressed white hairs that point downward.
Purple/Lavender
Green
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Acid (<6.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Drought
Weedy
Kummerowia striata Image Gallery
Kummerowia striata Attributes
Kummerowia striata: Country Or Region Of Origin
Asia
Kummerowia striata: Distribution
Eastern USA
Kummerowia striata: Wildlife Value
Seeds are eaten by game birds and songbirds. The foliage is eaten by deer and other herbivores.
Kummerowia striata: Edibility
Lespedeza is commonly used as forage in pastures. It may be grazed or cut for hay when in 1/2 bloom stage.
Kummerowia striata: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Kummerowia striata: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Kummerowia striata Fruit
Kummerowia striata: Fruit Description
Fruits are 0.2 inch long legumes and each contain a single seed.
Kummerowia striata: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Kummerowia striata: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Kummerowia striata: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Kummerowia striata Flowers
Kummerowia striata: Flower Description
1/4 inch long 5 petaled flowers appear in the leaf axils in groups of 1-3. They can be upright or horizontal. The shape is similar to pea flowers with the lower petal being pink or purple and the to smaller upper petals are white. Bloom time is mid-summer for 1-2 months.
Kummerowia striata: Flower Color
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Kummerowia striata: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Kummerowia striata: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Kummerowia striata: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Kummerowia striata: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Kummerowia striata: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Kummerowia striata Leaves
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Description
The alternate compound leaves are trifoliate with leaflets being ¼-1" long and about one-third to one-half as much across. The leaflets are broadly oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate in shape and margins are entire.
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Color
Green
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Kummerowia striata: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Kummerowia striata: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Kummerowia striata Stem
Kummerowia striata: Stem Description
The stems are purplish with appressed white hairs that point downward.
Kummerowia striata: Stem Color
Green
Purple/Lavender
Kummerowia striata: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Kummerowia striata: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Kummerowia striata Whole Plant Traits
Kummerowia striata: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Kummerowia striata: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Kummerowia striata: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Kummerowia striata: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Kummerowia striata: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Kummerowia striata Cultural Conditions
Kummerowia striata: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Kummerowia striata: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Kummerowia striata: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Kummerowia striata: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Kummerowia striata Landscape
Kummerowia striata: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Kummerowia striata: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
