Common Name: Korean Lespedeza

General Information

Kummerowia stipulacea is a much-branched, prostrate to ascending or erect annual plant growing from a shallow root system[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is grown as a green manure and for stabilizing the soil.
Kummerowia stipulacea has been much used as a green manure and cover crop in the USA. It has escaped from cultivation there and become naturalized.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Russian Far east, China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Waste ground and roadsides in C. and S. Japan[]. Roadsides, grasslands, mountain slopes, stable or semi-stable sand dunes at elevations of 100--1200 metres in China[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.40 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects, Cleistogamous
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Kummerowia stipulacea is a plant of the temperate and subtropical zones, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It generally does not thrive in tropical climates. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 14 - 24°c, but can tolerate 6 - 30°c[]. The plant is frost-tender[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,300mm, but tolerates 500 - 1,700mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position, tolerating light shade[]. Succeeds in a wide range of well-drained soils, from sandy to clayey, growing best in moderately fertile conditions but also where the fertility is low[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 6.5, tolerating 5.5 - 8[]. Plants are moderately drought-tolerant[].
A short-day, warm-season plant, it does not commence flowering until late summer when daylight length is less than 13 - 14 hours[, ].
Plants produce both perfect flowers with petals and cleistogamous flowers that have no petals, do not open, but develop fertile seed without pollination[, ].
Cultivated as a green manure and soil improvement crop, there are some named varieties[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The whole plant is used medicinally as a diuretic, for reducing fever, and treating diarrhea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is fast growing, has an extensive root system, fixes atmospheric nitrogen, and produces a thick mat of vegetation. It is much used in N. America as a green manure for soil conservation and for renewing worn-out soils[, ].
The plant can be undersown in late winter in a field of grain - it will continue growing when the grain is harvested in the summer and can be turned in in late summer in order to nourish the soil[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and then sow late spring in situ.