any of various leguminous plants of the genus Desmodium, esp D. purpureum of the Caribbean, grown in the southern US as forage plants and to improve the soil
See also tick trefoil
beggarweed in American English
(ˈbɛgərˌwid)
US
noun
any of several plants, esp. a leguminous West Indian plant (Desmodium purpureum), grown in the SE U.S. for soil improvement