This is a summer annual native to tropical Asia. It was introduced into the United States in 1910 and has proven adapted to areas near the Gulf of Mexico. In thin stands the stems branch, but in thick stands stems reach 3 feet in height with little branching. Leaves are oval, unifoliate, and borne on short petioles along the entire stem. Alyce clover is grown mainly for hay and soil improvement, but also makes good pasturage. The hay appears about equal to other legume hays in feeding value. The crop is seeded in late spring and matures seed the same season. If seed matures and shatters, a volunteer crop is produced in succeeding years. Seed was harvested from about 5000 acres (1954, 1959 censuses), sufficient to plant about 80,000 acres.