Richardia scabra aka Mexican Clover

Richardia scabra is an annual in the Rubiaceae family. Its common names include Mexican clover and Florida pusley. It comes from tropical and subtropical parts of the Americas. Its range runs from South America through the Caribbean and Central America. It also reaches southern North America. Kew places it in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It grows both wild and under cultivation.

The plant has loose branches and often creeps along the ground. It can reach 2.6 feet (0.8 metres) in height. That figure is an upper limit, not its usual upright size. In Florida, hairy stems reach 2.5 feet (0.76 metres) long. The leaves feel thick and fleshy. Both leaf surfaces can feel rough to the touch. Small white flowers grow in clusters at the stem tips. Its low stems can form dense mats across bare ground.

This species prefers full sun and grows well in dry sand. Its habitats include sandy grasslands, savannahs, and land used for crops. It also grows beside roads, in lawns, and on waste ground. These records fit its role as a weed of open sites. Seed is the listed means of propagation. The sources give no firm hardiness zone or flowering season. They also give no schedule for watering plants in gardens.

Growers in southern North America have used it as forage. They also grow it as green manure and soil cover. Yet its ground cover can cause problems in pasture. In Florida, it seldom gains ground where grass cover is good. It can take hold while new grass gets established. It also fills gaps where grass has died. Dense mats then make it hard for wanted grasses to grow. Older plants can be hard to control with pasture herbicides. The species has spread far beyond its native range. Some regions class it as an invasive weed.

People have gathered its roots for use as an ipecac substitute. This is a record of medicinal use, not proof of safety. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known food uses or hazards. That lack of reports does not establish that eating it is safe. The supplied sources provide no specific account of pet toxicity.