Common Name: Siratro, Purple Bush-bean. Tamil Name: Pudhar avarai
Siratro is native to Central and South America. It is a trifoliate twinning herb occasionally found as a prostrate plant. This plant can be encountered along high-ways and road-sides in Tamilnadu. Siratro is inter cropped with forage grass plants, it is an excellent ground cover plant and also acts as soil nutrient enhancer. The leaves are trifoliate and arranged in an alternate manner. The leaves are ovate to rhombic in shape. The inflorescence is in the form of a raceme. The flowers are pea shaped and are colored in very dark purple. The fruit is in the form of a straight brown colored pod which contains several seeds.
